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Fig. 4 The elovl2−/− livers display endoplasmic reticulum stress and hepatocyte death. A, endoplasmic reticulum ultrastructure in the hepatocytes of WT and −/−. er: endoplasmic reticulum, white arrow indicated; ld: lipid droplet. Scale bar: 1 μm. B, qRT-PCR analysis of genes involved in ER stress in WT and −/− livers. N = 3 replicates. C and D, PCR analysis of xbp1 splicing in WT and −/− livers. Spliced xbp1 (xbp1s) mRNA to unspliced xbp1 (xbp1u) mRNA. N = 3 replicates. E and F, Western blot analysis of S6 and phosphorylated S6 proteins in WT and −/− livers. GAPDH was used as an internal control protein. Western blot bands were quantified by gray value analysis using ImageJ software. N = 3 replicates. G and H, Western blot analysis of Chop protein in WT and −/− livers. β-actin was used as an internal control protein. Western blot bands were quantified by gray value analysis using ImageJ software. N = 3 replicates. I, qRT-PCR analysis of genes involved in inflammation in WT and −/− livers. N = 3 replicates. J and K, TUNEL (TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling) assays of WT and −/− liver sections. All values are mean ± SD. A Student t test was used. ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001. Individual p values are listed in Table S6 . −/−, elovl2−/−; WT, wildtype.