Approximately 25% of embryos derived from homozygous females mated to wild-type males hatch, and approximately 30% of embryos derived from homozygous females mated to hemizygous males hatch, indicating that this is a maternal effect mutation. Nuclei in different regions of homozygous embryos are seen in different stages of mitosis during the first 14 mitotic cycles, in contrast to wild-type embryos. Regions containing free centrosomes that are not associated with polar microtubules or DNA are seen. In addition, nuclei in mitotic arrest and aberrant polar microtubule structures are seen.
Precise excision of the P-element reverts the semi-lethal phenotype.