Flight initiation success, in response to an air puff, is dramatically reduced in slo⁹⁸ mutants. However, these flies display spontaneous sustained flight with apparently normal wing beat frequency, DLM firing rate, and CV of DM inter-spike intervals.

slo⁹⁸ mutants display abundant small boutons, termed 'satellites', budding from the larger primary boutons along the branch axis. Such aberrant outgrowth is found at both type Ib and Is neuromuscular junctions in different muscles, e.g. 6/7 and 4. Upon closer examination, two distinct types of satellites are observed, one without a clear constriction between satellites and primary boutons, resembling yeast budding (type B satellites) and the other with a short but clear constriction or 'neck' (type M satellites). Type B satellites are more abundant than type M satellites in these mutants. There is also an overall increase in synaptic bouton number and terminal branching in these mutants.

Larvae heterozygous for slo⁹⁸ show increases in the numbers of type-B and -M satellites, mature boutons, and branch segments, comparable to homozygous mutants.

The rate of habituation of the giant fiber escape pathway is markedly reduced in slo⁹⁸ flies compared to wild-type. The refractory period of the long-latency response is shorter than normal. The short-latency response of the tergotrochanteral muscle is delayed.

slo⁹⁸ has NMJ bouton | increased number phenotype, suppressible by Ca-α1D^AR66

slo⁹⁸ has neuromuscular junction phenotype, suppressible by Ca-α1D^AR66

slo⁹⁸ has NMJ bouton | increased number phenotype, non-suppressible by mle^nap-ts1

slo⁹⁸ has neuromuscular junction phenotype, non-suppressible by mle^nap-ts1