Imprecise excision of P{EPgy2}desat1EY07679 resulting in the deletion of the first coding exon of desat1.
Homozygosity for allele desat1119A and the heteroallelic combination desat111A/desat1119A result in larval lethality with larvae dying during the second larval instar stage (L2), where they remain for up to three days without being able to moult into larval stage three (L3). Very few escapers are able to develop until L3. The mutant larvae are reduced in size and fail to develop beyond L3. The mutant L2 larvae stop feeding and leave the food source.
Clones of homozygous desat1119A mutant fat body cells show abnormal autophagic response to starvation.