Activation of the P{EP} element in Hsp27EP3583 has resulted in a 707bp deletion of the entire Hsp27 coding region (213aas), whilst retaining the starting element. Three additional nucleotides (GAA) are found at the junction of the deletion breakpoints.
707 bp deletion resulting from the imprecise excision of P{EP}Hsp27{EP3583]. Deletion boundaries are from published sequence. Three bases (GAA) are inserted at the site of the deletion.
Homozygous Hsp27-0.7 mutants do not exhibit any developmental problems. Egg production is comparable to wild type, and the ratio of progeny is normal. Response to heat and oxidative stress (paraquat treatment) is also comparable to controls. Reduced resistance to starvation is seen, with survivorship reduced by 39% compared to wild type and heterozygous controls. Moreover, male Hsp27-0.7 homozygotes show a 19.8% decrease in mean lifespan compared to wild type controls and a 26.2% reduction in comparison with heterozygotes. The increase in death rate begins at ~30 days. Maximum lifespan is unaffected.