We have a longstanding interest in the role of the Hu antigens in neurons and in PND. The Hu genes are homologues of a Drosophila n-RBP termed elav. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization studies have defined specific expression patterns of these genes in discrete regions of the developing nervous system (Okano HJ and Darnell RB. J Neurosci, 17:3024-3037, 1997). Further biochemical and CLIP analysis of Hu function in neurons and PND awaits a genetic system suitable for validating data.