By analysing the protein levels of autophagy markers, we also found that, in addition to regulating beclin 1, 14‐3‐3ζ overexpression induced effective autophagic flux in HCC‐LM3 and CSQT‐2 cells—p62 degradation was enhanced and the number of LC3II puncta was increased. The gene discussed is BECN1; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.