mip120^LL07629/Df(2R)BSC274 mutant females have much smaller ovaries and the terminal egg chamber development show a consistent arrest, apparently between stages 7 and 8, in all ovarioles. The most mature egg chambers in each mutant ovariole are ovoid and contain a uniform layer of cuboidal follicle cells surrounding 15 nurse cells and a posterior oocyte, the ploidy of these nurse cells is estimated at 256C based on their nuclear diameter; apparently normal ring canals connect the nurse cells and the oocyte. The oocyte has a distinct germinal vesicle containing a small karyosome with decondensed DNA but lacks yolk.

In egg chambers containing mip120^LL07629 mutant germline clones surrounded by mip120^LL07629/+ follicle cells the mutant nurse cells show nuclear defects (persistent undispersed and condensed chromosomes), whereas in egg chambers containing mip120^LL07629 somatic clones with mutant follicle cells enveloping mip120^LL07629/+ germline cells the nurse cells display normal nuclear morphology with chromosome disassembly and dispersion.