Overexpression of swsScer\UAS.cMa driven by Scer\GAL4loco.PU leads to vacuole formation at the position of the outer chiasma glia in 14 day old flies; chiasm glia are enlarged and show intracellular membranous whorls. Scer\GAL4loco.PU>swsScer\UAS.cMa 14 day old flies also show significant defects in a fast phototaxis assay (reduction in percentage transitions towards light).
Expression of swsScer\UAS.cMa under the control of Scer\GAL4elav.PU results in flies exhibiting a significant decrease in performance in a phototaxis assay, and neurons in these flies also show abnormal mitochondria that appear swollen and disorganized, as compared to controls.
Homogenates from flies expressing swsScer\UAS.cMa under the control of the neuronal Scer\GAL4elav-C155 driver exhibit a two-fold increase in NTE-like activity (NTE-neuropathy target esterase). However, histological examination of the brains of these animals fails to reveal any neurodegenerative phenotypes. In contrast, induction of additional swsScer\UAS.cMa in glial cells (using the Scer\GAL4loco.1.3 driver) results in a 12-fold increase in NTE-like activity. Histological sections of the brains of these flies reveals an age-dependent degeneration of CNS glia, particularly in the epithelial glia of the lamina and the giant glia within the first optic chiasm. Sections from newly eclosed flies reveal that the initial development of these glial cells appears to be normal. However, in 14-day old flies, the remnants of these glial cells are filled completely with vacuoles and numerous membranous cellular bodies.
Expression of swsScer\UAS.cMa in the eye under the control of Scer\GAL4GMR.PF causes a two-fold increase in esterase activity and progressive degeneration of photoreceptors.
swsUAS.cMa/Scer\GAL4loco.PU partially rescues sws1
swsUAS.cMa/Scer\GAL4elav.PU partially rescues sws1
swsUAS.cMa/Scer\GAL4loco.PU partially rescues swsGD3277
swsUAS.cMa/Scer\GAL4Appl.G1a partially rescues sws1
Co-expression of swsScer\UAS.cMa significantly rescues vacuolization of the lamina cortex and partially rescues phototaxis defects in 14 day old flies with swsGD3277 driven by Scer\GAL4loco.PU.
Expression of swsScer\UAS.cMa driven by Scer\GAL4loco.PU partially restores glial wrapping of neuronal cell bodies in the medulla cortex and neurites in the medulla neuropil in sws1/sws1 flies, though some vacuoles are still present (glial hyper-wrapping no longer occurs).
Scer\GAL4elav.PU>swsScer\UAS.cMa flies still show incomplete glial wrapping in the medulla, though glial sheaths are present in some neuronal cell bodies in the medulla cortex and neurites in the medulla neuropil in sws1/sws1 flies (glial hyper-wrapping no longer occurs).
Expression of swsR133A.Scer\UAS driven pan-neuronally by Scer\GAL4Appl.G1a significantly (partially) rescues neuropil vacuolization in sws1/sws1 flies, though this rescue is significantly less than is seen with expression of swsScer\UAS.cMa (almost full rescue).
Neuronal expression of swsScer\UAS.cMa, under the control of Scer\GAL4elav-C155 rescues some aspects of sws1 neuronal degeneration, namely the vacuolisation in the neuropil.
Glial expression of swsScer\UAS.cMa, under the control of Scer\GAL4loco.1.3 rescues the glial phenotype found in sws1 mutants.
Expression of swsScer\UAS.cMa in either neurons or glia (under the control of either Scer\GAL4elav-C155 or Scer\GAL4loco.1.3) restores the wild-type NTE-like activity (NTE-neuropathy target esterase).
