Wu et al. demonstrated that the tight junction protein CLDN1 activates AMPK/STAT1/ULK1 signaling in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines TE10 and TE11, which induces autophagy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells, and enhances cancer cell proliferation and metastasis [7]. The gene discussed is PRKAB1; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.