Amyloids have traditionally been considered pathologic protein aggregates which contribute to neurodegeneration. New evidence however increasingly suggests that non-pathological amyloids are formed in animals during normal development. Amyloid-like aggregate formation was originally thought to be a conserved feature of animal gametogenesis. This hypothesis was based on findings which suggest that regulated amyloid formations govern yeast meiosis by way of meiosis-specific RNA binding proteins. Additional support came from studies which demonstrate that DAZL, a mammalian gametogenesis-specific RNA binding protein, also forms SDS-resistant aggregates