Mutant flies show light-dependent degeneration of rhabdomeres; when maintained under a 12 hour light-12 hour dark cycle, a full complement of rhabdomeres is present 14 days after eclosion, but the rhabdomeres are smaller than those seen in wild-type controls and they contain large intracellular vacuoles inside the cell bodies. By 30 days after eclosion, most of the rhabdomeres have degenerated in these flies. When the mutant flies are maintained in the dark, the number of rhabdomeres per ommatidium does not decrease, even 30 days after eclosion, although the size of the rhabdomeres is reduced in 30 day old mutant flies compared to wild-type controls.
The morphology of rhabdomeres in 1 day old flies expressing trpΔ1272 in a trp1 background appears similar to wild type. Electroretinograms of young flies expressing trpΔ1272 in a trp1 background are similar to wild type, although the amplitude of the maintained component is slightly reduced. There is no delay in termination of the photoresponse in these flies. In 7 day old flies expressing trpΔ1272 in a trp1 background there is no apparent defect in termination of the photoresponse, although there is a pronounced decline in the amplitude of the maintained component.
trpΔ1272 is a non-suppressor of abnormal neurophysiology phenotype of Camtates-2
trpΔ1272 is a non-suppressor of eye photoreceptor cell phenotype of Camtates-2
trp1/trpΔ1272 is a non-suppressor of rhabdomere phenotype of rdgA1
