Small part of cellular protein that helps form long-term memories also drives neurodegeneration

Scientists have just discovered that a small region of a cellular protein that helps long-term memories form also drives the neurodegeneration seen in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This small part of the Ataxin-2 protein thus works for good and for bad. When a version of the protein lacking this region was substituted for the normal form in fruit flies (model organisms), the animals could not form long-term memories - but, surprisingly, the same flies showed a remarkable resistance to neurodegeneration.