Transgenic mice overexpressing HECW1 display neuronal loss in the spinal cord, muscular atrophy and microglia activation64, and the HECW1 protein has been shown to ubiquitinate mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), typical of familial ALS patients20. The gene discussed is HECW1; the disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.