UAS regulatory sequences drive expression of a short inverted repeat.
Down-regulation of muskelin, through expression of muskelinGLC01768 under the control of Scer\GAL4mat.αTub67C.T:Hsim\VP16 does not visibly affect earlier stages of oogenesis, but results in persistence of nurse cell nuclei in stage 14 egg chambers. Approximately 65% of stage 14 egg chambers in the control lack nurse cell nuclei altogether or contain only one small, condensed nurse cell nucleus.
Approximately 79% of stage 14 egg chambers depleted of muskelin contain at least one large nurse cell nucleus compared with ~35% in the control. Despite the presence of nurse cell nuclei in stage 14 egg chambers depleted of muskelin, the oocyte assumes the secondary metaphase I arrest. The metaphase I plate displays a normal configuration in 98.6% of control stage 14 oocytes compared with 96.8% in Scer\GAL4mat.αTub67C.T:Hsim\VP16->muskelinGLC01768 flies.
Eggs resulting from Scer\GAL4mat.αTub67C.T:Hsim\VP16->muskelinGLC01768 treatment are fertile, producing viable embryos.