Figure 3.

Gα_q^V303D mutants undergo rapid light-dependent retinal degeneration. (A) Electron microcopy images of an ommatidium from wild-type and V303D mutant eyes, with higher magnification images of selected rhabdomeres (highlighted with a square) shown to the right. Flies were raised for 6 d under either constant dark condition or a 12 hr light/12 hr dark cycle. (B) The GMR-driven wild-type Gα_q transgene, but not the V303D mutant transgene, rescues visual degeneration of the V303D mutant. Scale bars are indicated at the bottom. (C) Retinal degeneration did not happen in similarly dark/light-treated 6-d-old eyes from Gα_q¹. Fast degeneration of V303D eyes is similar to norpA mutants, and could not be relieved by a calx mutation. The complete genotypes are as follows: w¹¹¹⁸ (wt); w¹¹¹⁸; Gα_q^V303D (V303D); w¹¹¹⁸; Gα_q^V303D gmr-Gal4; UAS-Gα_q⁺; w¹¹¹⁸; Gα_q^V303D gmr-Gal4; UAS-Gα_q^V303D; w¹¹¹⁸; Gα_q¹; w¹¹¹⁸; norpA^P24; w¹¹¹⁸; Gα_q^V303D; calx^A.