We observed that several autophagy genes which were decreased under diabetic conditions in WT mice (compared to WT controls) were not decreased in kidneys of miR-192-KO STZ-diabetic mice (compared to miR-192-KO controls) namely, Atg1, Atg5, Atg12 and LC3, at 2 weeks post diabetes, and Atg9, Atg12 and LC3 at 22 weeks post diabetes (Fig. 3). Here, ULK1 is linked to diabetes mellitus.