Figure 2. RT-qPCR quantification of relative rst mRNA levels in rst^CT mutant and two rst^D wild type-like revertants together with corresponding eye phenotypes.

Despite its severe rough eye phenotype, rst^CT (which expresses a truncated version of the Rst protein) shows an essentially wild type rst mRNA temporal profile. Both rst^D wild type-like revertants however, are defective in rst mRNA expression, which is completely absent in RTW6 and displays a striking departure of wild type temporal profile in RTW8, showing that the requirement for rst wild type function can be bypassed in these mutants during pupal eye development.