The Ataxin-2 protein is required in Kenyon cells for RNP-granule assembly and appetitive long-term memory formation

This publication demonstrates that the RNA binding protein Aatxin2 in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster is required for the formation of long term memory (LTM) in specific subsets of mushroom body neurons, an important structure involved in olfactory processing and memory storage. Further the requirement of Ataxin2 for the formation of RNP granules, subcellular structures involved in LTM, was shown.