Flies expressing CpndsRNA.Scer\UAS.WIZ under the control of a Scer\GAL4GMR.PU line which results in Cpn expression being reduced to only 1% of wild-type levels and raised under constant illumination have retinal defects 3 days after eclosion: a large fraction of the photoreceptor cells have deformed rhabdomeres and the rhabdomere cross-section areas are smaller than normal. The normal electron transparent appearance and low organelle density of the rhabdomere terminal web is missing in these flies and the subrhabdomeral area is filled with organelles. After 7 days of continuous illumination, severe photoreceptor degeneration is seen in the mutant flies: most of the rhabdomeres are either missing or strongly deformed and the cell body appears inundated with rough endoplasmic reticulum. After 14 days of continuous illumination virtually all the R1-R6 photoreceptor cells are eliminated in the mutant flies, with only a few degenerate R7 and R8 photoreceptors remaining.
Flies expressing CpndsRNA.Scer\UAS.WIZ under the control of a Scer\GAL4GMR.PU line which results in Cpn expression being reduced to only 1% of wild-type levels have a normal electroretinogram (ERG) waveform, but the amplitude of the ERG light response is significantly lower than normal.
Dark reared flies expressing CpndsRNA.Scer\UAS.WIZ under the control of a Scer\GAL4GMR.PU line which results in Cpn expression being reduced to only 1% of wild-type levels show only mild retinal deformations at 3 and 7 days after eclosion and still maintain all rhabdomeres at 14 days, although they have deformed morphology.
Dark and light reared flies expressing CpndsRNA.Scer\UAS.WIZ under the control of a Scer\GAL4GMR.PU line which results in Cpn expression being reduced to 90% of wild-type levels have normal retinal morphology and the rhabdomere terminal web appears normal. However, the pigment granules are localised close to the rhabdomere in these flies when they are dark-adapted (in wild-type flies pigment granules are located at a distance from the rhabdomere in dark-adapted flies and migrate towards the base of the rhabdomere upon illumination).
CpnRNAi.UAS.WIZ, Scer\GAL4GMR.PU has abnormal neuroanatomy | adult stage | progressive phenotype, suppressible | partially by CalxninaE.PW
CpnRNAi.UAS.WIZ, Scer\GAL4GMR.PU has abnormal neurophysiology | adult stage phenotype, suppressible | partially by CalxninaE.PW
CpnRNAi.UAS.WIZ, Scer\GAL4GMR.PU has rhabdomere phenotype, suppressible | partially by CalxninaE.PW
CalxninaE.PW significantly rescues the degenerated rhabdomere morphology seen in flies which have been exposed to light and which are expressing CpndsRNA.Scer\UAS.WIZ under the control of a Scer\GAL4GMR.PU line which results in Cpn expression being reduced to only 1% of wild-type levels. In addition, the reduction in electroretinogram response amplitude is partially rescued at moderate and intense light levels. The normal electron transparent appearance of the rhabdomere terminal web is not rescued.
