An LC3-II degradation analysis and GFP-LC3 assays were performed to analyze the change in the autophagy flux of HCC-SR cells overexpressing BNIP3 and BNIP3L, and the results suggested that overexpressing BNIP3 and BNIP3L enhanced the autophagy flux of HCC-SR cells (Additional file 2A, B). This evidence concerns the gene BNIP3L and hepatocellular carcinoma.