The function of yata in preventing degenerative changes in the nervous system is suggested to be evolutionarily conserved because mice with null mutation of the mammalian yata orthologue, Scyl1, showed motor neuron degeneration (Schmidt et al., 2007), and the human Scyl1 gene has been identified as a causative gene in a genetic disease that causes liver failure, peripheral neuropathy, cerebellar atrophy and ataxia (Lenz et al., 2018; Schmidt et al., 2015; Shohet et al., 2019). The gene discussed is SCYL1; the disease is liver failure.