The RNA‐binding protein (RBP), poly(A) binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1) contains an N‐terminal polyalanine tract with up to 10 alanine residues, but an expansion mutation of the polyalanine tract in PABPN1 (leading to a stretch of 11–18 alanines), causes a specific pathology, termed oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD; Brais et al., 1998; Robinson et al., 2005). The gene discussed is PABPN1; the disease is oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.