"dronc[d5]" animals (Df(3L)Nc^Z homozygotes in which CG6685 function, but not Nc function, is rescued by homozygosity for P{CG6685^+tDa}) show mid pupal lethality. No obvious morphological defects are seen in the larval brain lobes in these animals, but there is a decrease in cell death in the larval brain lobes and in the larval eye discs compared to wild type.

At 20 and 30 hours relative to puparium formation (RPF), "dronc[d5]" animals contain persistent larval salivary glands, even though adults structures are forming at this time in the mutant animals (indicating continuing pupal development). At 14 hours RPF, the mutant salivary glands lack the membrane bound autophagic bodies found in wild-type salivary glands at this stage. No TUNEL-positive nuclei are seen in the mutant salivary glands at the time when all wild-type gland cells are TUNEL-positive (15 hours RPF).

Histolysis of the larval midgut is not affected in "dronc[d5]" prepupae as assessed by gross morphology. The prepupal midgut cells have abundant early stage small autophagic vacuoles and crystalline inclusion bodies, but large double membrane-enclosed structures are not seen, indicating some changes in autophagy compared to wild type.

"dronc[d5]" eye discs do not show an increase in cell death following irradiation (in contrast to wild-type discs).