In embryos where tor protein derives solely from tor^NRE transcripts, middle body segments are often missing, termed a "splice" phenotype. Embryos that also derive wild type tor protein from wild type gene overcome this phenotype, indicating that downregulation or tor^NRE by nanos causes the tor^NRE mutant phenotype. "Splice" phenotype of tor^NRE is dependent on tll, trk and tsl.