Knockdown of shrb^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS} driven in the class IV dendritic arborizing sensory neuron ddaC by Scer\GAL4^ppk.1.9 leads to significant disruptions in pruning at 18hr after puparium formation, with dendrites still attached to the cell body (resulting from a lack of branch severing and clearance defects). Knockdown of shrb^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS} driven in the class IV dendritic arborizing sensory neuron ddaC by Scer\GAL4^ppk.1.9 leads to accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins (defects in multivesicular body formation) in third instar larvae. Knockdown of shrb^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS} driven in class I da sensory neurons by Scer\GAL4^smid-C161 or in mushroom body gamma neurons by Scer\GAL4^Tab2-201Y leads to significant disruption in dendrite or axon (respectively) severing at 24hr after puparium formation, compared to controls.

Downregulation of shrb, through expression of shrb^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS} in ddaE and ddaF neurons in the dorsal cluster under the control of Scer\GAL4²²¹, generates a phenotype that is similar to that in wild-type. However, the number of dendritic termini is increased significantly due to an increase in fine, higher-order branches.