Heat treatment of Hr4dsRNA.hs larvae in late L2 results in precocious wandering behavior. Heat treatment in early L3 has no effect in addition, a small percentage of dwarf larvae are found in late L2-treated larvae.
Heat shock of Hr4dsRNA.hs animals during the first or second instar has no significant effect on viability. But heat shocking these animals 12 hours prior to pupariation causes significant prepupal (63%) and pupal (35%) lethality, with only 2% of the animals eclosing. Heat shock of 0-3 hour old larvae results in significant growth defects: 20% of pupae developing to 60-70% of wild-type length (n = 100), and a moderate reduction in size in 75% of the population (Figure 2B). In contrast to Hr41 mutants, of these small pupae continue to develop and form small, viable flies.
Transcription from the P{hs-Hr4.RNAi} construct should produce Hr4 dsRNA, resulting in dsRNA interference (RNAi) of the Hr4 gene.