This hypothesis is supported by studies performed with an animal model of neurodegeneration, namely the nervous (nr) mutant mouse, indicating that Purkinje cell degeneration correlates with high levels of tPA activity in the cerebellum (Li et al., 2006, 2013), and that mice overexpressing tPA in neurons develop Purkinje cell damage and ataxia (Cops et al., 2013). This evidence concerns the gene PLAT and Ataxia.