In the embryonic CNS, longitudinal connectives are interrupted and commissures fuse. In some segments the VUM neurons are born and differentiate, but fail to form a well-defined posterior root to the anterior peripheral fascicle. Intersegmental nerve shows various aberrations, failing to grow or wandering into adjacent segments, or defasciculation of ISN sensory axons. The lateral chordotonal organs are sometimes displaced dorsally from their wild type position. There is no segment specificity of these phenotypes.
Bier et al.
Transposase induced excision of the P element reverts both the lethality and the mutant neuronal phenotype. The ISN phenotype and the lateral chordotonal organ phenotype shows incomplete expressivity. The trachea appear normal in the mutant embryos. The number of PNS neurons, their distribution into neuronal subtypes and differentiation appear normal.