Figure 1.

LC3, SQSTM1 and ubiquitin localize to lipid droplets in macrophage foam cells. Human THP-1 macrophages were loaded with agLDL (50 μg/mL) for 30 h and equilibrated in BSA (2 mg/mL) overnight. Cells were then fixed and stained for LC3 (A), SQSTM1 (B), ubiquitin (Ub) (C) and BODIPY 493/503 to label neutral lipids. Lipid droplets (LDs) that were colocalized with LC3, SQSTM1 or Ub are circled. At right, quantification of the percent of cellular LDs tagged with Ub and LC3 or Ub and SQSTM1 colocalized at their surface in chloroquine (CQ)-treated cells as compared to control (Ctrl) is shown. Data are expressed as fold-change for the chloroquine treatment relative to untreated from one experiment representative of 3 independent experiments with similar results (mean ± s.e.m). ^#P < 0.1, **P< 0.005. Representative images are from untreated cells. Scale bar: 5 μm