The knon coding region is expressed under the control of approximately 1.8kb of upstream regulatory sequence. A GFP(mut3star) tag has been introduced at the C-terminal end of the coding region.
Tagged protein is detected starting in spermatocytes during chromatin condensation and continuing through different stages of spermatogenesis. It colocalizes with mitochondria and persists in mitichondrial derivatives during and after mitochondrial elongation in elongated spermatid cysts. It is also detected in mature sperm.
The male sterility as well as the defective mitochondrial shaping and elongation during spermatogenesis observed in knon1400;Df(2R)7E is rescued by combination with knonT:Avic\GFP-mut3star.