Construct: Expression of a ninaE cDNA is placed under heat shock control.
Rhabdomere structure is lost in unshocked photoreceptors at 12 hours posteclosion: curtains of rhabdomere membrane invade photoreceptor cytoplasm, similar to ninaE17. ERG recordings demonstrate response amplitudes are reduced and off-transients are absent. Receptor cell R7 is unaffected. Substantial rhabdomere rescue is seen at 12 hours posteclosion in a fly heat shocked between 76 and 871% of pupal development. Response amplitudes and off-transients are comparable to wild type. Heat shock at a later stage of pupal development fails to rescue the rhabdomere phenotype, ERG is similar to ninaE17.