Exciting new research from Alex Russo is presented this month in Cell Reports in a paper titled Wnd/DLK Is a Critical Target of FMRP Responsible for Neurodevelopmental and Behavior Defects in the Drosophila Model of Fragile X Syndrome. FMRP1 is the gene mutated in Fragile-X syndrome. It functions as a translational repressor that targets many mRNAs. When it is absent or mutated its target mRNAs are translated into proteins at too high a level. Alex found that a single target of FMRP1, DLK/wallenda, is responsible for many of the phenotypes associated with the disease in a fly model of Fragile-X mental retardation. This makes DLK an attractive target for therapies for Fragile X syndrome.