bchs³/bchs⁶ transheterozygous adults display ultrastructural neuronal defects - neurons contain abnormal inclusion and multilamellar bodies and vacuoles.

bchs³/Df(2L)cl7 males have a shortened adult life span compared to controls, with a mean life span of 21.69 days at 25^o.

bchs³/bchs⁵ males have a shortened adult life span compared to controls, with a mean life span of 23.7 days at 25^o.

bchs³/Df(2L)cl7 flies have a reduced average lifespan compared to wild-type. These flies display wild-type motor, feeding and grooming behavior and have no developmental defects. At 10 days, the ommatidia of bchs³/Df(2L)cl7 adults begin to show signs of degeneration: architectural disorganization can be seen and large vacuoles start to develop between ommatidia. At this time, loss of tissue size and morphology is also apparent in the laminal and medullary ganglia, inferior lateral deutocerebrum, superior lateral and medial protocerebrum, subesophageal ganglia, and fan-shaped and ellipsoid body regions of the CNS. By 14 days, there is substantial loss of ommatidial morphology, a condensation of individual rhabdomeres, and the development of large vacuoles between ommatidia. There is also an increase in atrophy and fragility of the brain. Brains of older adults show a continued decrease in volume. Occasional vacuoles develop in the brain, but vacuolization is not extensive. From 10 days and onwards, ubiquitinated aggregate-like structures that appear to be insoluble can be found throughout the CNS. Additionally, in two-week-old mutants, there is extensive CNS-wide apoptosis. None of these effects are observed in wild-type flies.