Expression of X11LdsRNA.Scer\UAS (X11L RNAi), under the control of Scer\GAL4GMR.PF, results in adult eyes that the completely lack rhabdomeres and have only a very thin epithelium. The lamina neuropil in these flies is extremely thin. The distal medulla neuropil is present but shows indication of axonal degeneration.
When one copy of X11LdsRNA.Scer\UAS is expressed under the control of Scer\GAL4GMR.PF, some cell sorting within eye discs takes place but not all excess interommatidial cells are eliminated by apoptosis. When two copies of X11LdsRNA.Scer\UAS are expressed, sorting of interommatidial precursor cells does not take place and some ommatidia contain supernumerary cone cells or only one primary pigment cell.
Scer\GAL4GMR.PF, X11LRNAi.UAS has ommatidial precursor cluster phenotype, enhanceable by rst6/rst[+]
Scer\GAL4MZ1369/X11LRNAi.UAS is an enhancer of ommatidial precursor cluster phenotype of rst6
Expression of one copy of X11LdsRNA.Scer\UAS, driven by Scer\GAL4GMR.PF, in a rst6/+ background leads to severe cell sorting defects in eye discs, similar to those seen in rst6 homozygotes.
dsRNA has been transfected into flies to study the phenotypic consequences of dsRNA interference (RNAi) of the X11L gene.