Fig. 4

miR-6788-5p can partially restore the effects of circPTPN22 on autophagy inhibition. A Transmission electron microscope observation of the number of autophagosomes and autolysosomes in GC cells after adding miR-6788-5p mimic or inhibitor. B Western blot detection of P62/SQSTM1 and LC3 B protein levels in GC cells after adding miR-6788-5p mimic or inhibitor. C and D miR-6788-5p inhibitor and mimic were added to mRFP-GFP-LC3-labeled AGS and SGC-7901 cells, respectively. Cellular autophagic flux was visualized using confocal microscopy. C is a representative confocal microscope image, and D is quantitative data. Scale bar, 10 μM. E–H After knockdown or overexpression of circPTPN22 in mRFP-GFP-LC3-labeled GC cells, the inhibitor or mimic of miR-6788-5p was added, and the autophagy flux was observed by confocal microscopy. E and G are representative confocal microscope images, and F and H are quantitative data. Scale bar, 10 μM. I–L After knockdown or overexpression of circPTPN22, inhibitor or mimic of miR-6788-5p was added. The proliferation and metastasis of GC cells were detected by CCK-8 (I), cell colony formation assay (J), migration (K) and invasion (L) assays. Scale bar, 100 μM. M and N After knockdown or overexpression of circPTPN22, inhibitor or mimic of miR-6788-5p was added. Western blot was used to detect the protein content of E-cad, vimentin, P62/SQSTM1 and LC3 B in GC cells. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.001