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Figure 5 | BMC Neuroscience

Figure 5

From: A role for the membrane protein M6 in the Drosophila visual system

Figure 5

M6 downregulation triggers a mild rough eye phenotype and impairs the phototactic response. (A) M6 mRNA levels in heads of control (w), M602/ 02, heterozygous and homozygous M601, M6Δ01-rev (M601 P-excised), and the trans-heterozygous M601/ 03 mutants were assessed by RT-qPCR. The values shown are relative to the control genotype (white bar). Mean ± SEM, n = 3–5. Kruskal-Wallis test, P < 0.001, followed by a multiple comparison test. Different letters indicate significant differences. (B) Representative images of young male fly eyes taken with an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). Eyes of heterozygous M601/ + used as control (a, a’), homozygous M601/ 01 (b, b’) and trans-heterozygous M601/ 03 (c, c’ and c”) are shown. Lower and higher magnifications are displayed in the upper and lower panels, respectively. In addition to the disorganized ommatidium array, alterations in the ommatidial shape or fusions between contiguous ommatidia (asterisks) and bristle defects (arrowheads) are indicated. Altered interommadial space was detected in around 20 % of M601/ 03 mutants (arrow, c”). The ventral-dorsal axis is oriented left to right; scale bar is 100 μm. (C) Young male flies were assessed for their response to light in the phototaxis behavioral paradigm. Mean ± SEM, n = 5 independent experiments. Statistical analysis included a two way ANOVA (P < 0.0001) followed by a Newman-Keuls multiple comparison test between genotypes.

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