Although previous study showed that both loss of CREST and overexpression of Q394X (the corresponding truncation of mouse Crest homolog) or I123M mutant blocked the depolarization-induced dendritic outgrowth in cultured neurons [8, 11], whether mutations of CREST lead to ALS-like phenotypes in vivo remain to be determined. The gene discussed is SS18L1; the disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.