GFP-LC3 and mCherry-EGFP-LC3 puncta formation assays

Briefly as previously described (Son et al., 2011), cadmium-transformed cells and non-transformed BEAS-2BR cells were transfected with GFP-LC3 or mCherry-EGFP-LC3 plasmids (catalog no. 24920 and 22418, Addgene, Cambridge, MA). The transfected cells were seeded onto coverslips placed in 6-well plates (0.2×10⁶ cells/coverslip). Fluorescence-positive cells were counted using a fluorescence microscope (Carl Zeiss, Germany).