UASp regulatory sequences drive expression of a mutant form of vtd which contains the amino acid replacements R175A and R474A. These mutations are within the two EXXR separase consensus sequences present in the protein and should result in a separase-resistant variant of vtd. The protein is tagged at the C-terminal end with 10 copies of Tag:MYC.
Females expressing vtdNC.Scer\UAS.P\T.T:Hsap\MYC under the simultaneous control of Scer\GAL4otu.T:Hsim\VP16, Scer\GAL4nos.PG and Scer\GAL4nos.UTR.T:Hsim\VP16 are almost completely sterile. The meiotic divisions appear to be normal, but mitotic divisions in early embryos derived from these females are severely affected. Many embryos contain only a single DNA mass. Prominent anaphase bridges and chromosome stretching are seen.