Genetic study of molecular characteristic of autophagy-related proteins LC3A and LC3B

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The roles of autophagy-related proteins LC3A and LC3B largely remains unknown, although LC3 are used as a marker protein for autophagosome formation. To further understand their roles, single and double knockout (KO) mice of LC3A and LC3B were produced. These KO mice were born normally and grown-up to be capable of reproduction. Protein expression of the GABARAP family of proteins did not change between wild-type and LC3A/B-deficient mouse body tissues such as brain, liver, kidney and heart, indicating they maintain basic autophagy. Hippocampal pyramidal neurons of neonatal brains deficient in LC3A/B were resistant to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. The result strongly suggests the presence of autophagic neuron death in the hippocampal pyramidal layer of mouse brains.