Contrary to what occurs in wild-type, rudimentary centrosome like structures assemble in the entire cytoplasm of every unfertilised Dhc64C^Lab-1 egg. The centrosomes appear to nucleate small microtubule asters and contain what may be rudimentary centrioles. There is no indication of chromosome replication at this stage. Unlike wild-type, the centrosomes in fertilised, Dhc64C^Lab-1 eggs begin to replicate prior to accomplishment of mitosis, as shown by the presence of multiple centrosomes at the spindle poles. The centrosomes also detach from their nuclei following the first or second cleavage division in every fertilised mutant egg, and while the cleavage nuclei stop dividing and degenerate, the centrosome cycles proceed even in the absence of nuclei. The number of centrosomes increase exponentially with time and about 2 hours post fertilisation, the entire egg cortex is populated with free centrosomes that nucleate normal-looking microtubule asters. Both rudimentary centrosomes, which are characteristic of unfertilised mutant eggs, and normal centrosomes appear only in about 1% of the fertilised mutant eggs.

Female viability and male fertility are not reduced. The sperm pronuclei divide a few times in the eggs while the oocyte pronuclei remain still.

dominant female-sterile. In embryos from heterozygous females 1-3 large nuclei (probably sperm pronuclei).