ULK1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Among the transcripts with significant change, U2AF homology motif kinase1 (UHMK1), an oncogene, was down-regulated and Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1), a potential tumor suppressive gene, was up-regulated in the most significant and consistent manner in all hepatoma cell lines (Figure 4A).