Serum deprivation during culture is often used to increase cellular stress [19–24], and for primary AML cells such deprivation is associated both with a further increase in spontaneous apoptosis (Supplementary Figure 1(b)) and in addition increased mTOR signaling and increased lysosomal acidity (Supplementary Figures 1(c) and 1(d)) even though the intracellular levels of autophagy- (LC3B, Beclin, ATG3, ATG7, ATG10) or apoptosis-associated (bcl-2, bcl-XL, bax) molecules are not altered. The gene discussed is BAX; the disease is acute myeloid leukemia.