Embryos expressing GstE14^GD10522 under the control of Scer\GAL4^phm.PO complete embryogenesis, hatch normally and show no apparent morphological or behavioural defects until 24 hours after egg laying (AEL). At 48 hours AEL the larvae show apparent growth arrest compared with control animals. They fail to progress beyond the second instar larvae stage and gradually die, with a few larvae living until 240 hours AEL. Ecdysteroid titre is significantly reduced in these second instar larvae and animals fed 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) just after hatching grow to the late larval, pupal and some to the adult stages. Larvae raised on cholesterol or 7-dehydrocholesterol (7dC) supplemented food moult normally and grow into the adult stage.

The ring gland from third instar larvae expressing GstE14^GD10522 under the control of Scer\GAL4^phm.PO significantly accumulates cholesterol compared to the ring gland of control animals. There were no statistically significant differences in the amounts of other plant and fungal sterols.

Adults expressing GstE14^GD10522 under the control of Scer\GAL4^elav.PLu (in the presence of Dcr-2^Scer\UAS.cDa to increase the efficiency of RNAi) do not show a significant defect in avoidance of noxious temperature (46[o]C) compared to control flies.