“MOONWALKING” mice may shed some light on the genetics of a debilitating neurological disorder.
The mice, which move backwards when they try to walk forwards on a smooth surface, have a gene for a mutated protein that prompts neurons in the cerebellum, a brain area that controls movement and balance, to die off. The same neurons are destroyed in people with the disorder , which causes unsteadiness and loss of coordination.
The moonwalking seems to occur because the mice place their feet wider apart than normal when they walk, to keep their balance. The movements of people with cerebellar…
