Figure 2

Exemplified rough eye phenotypes (REP) used as readout for modifier screens. Scanning electron micrographs (top) of fly eyes are shown. The Drosophila compound eye consists of a stereotypic array of about 800 omatidia (left). These hexagonal structures are highly ordered and display regular spacing of hairs called interomatidial bristles (inset). Expression of disease-linked proteins/peptides in the eye can cause a REP (middle). The rough appearance of the eye can be caused by loss of interomatidial bristles, fusion of omatidia, necrotic tissue, dints in the retina and is often accompanied by loss of pigmentation and reduced eye size. An enhancement in severity (left) is easily observable by more pronounced REP characteristics. Usually, such REPs are sensitive towards genetic interactions, causing either a suppression (left) or an enhancement (right), changing the overall eye appearance towards a more wild-type like appearance (suppression) or by increasing the rough appearance of the eye (enhancement), respectively. Exemplary light micrographs show REPs induced by expression of either Tau[R406W] (middle) or Aβ42 (bottom). These REPs are sensitive towards genetic modification like suppression (left) and enhancement (right) and can be/have been used for screening approaches.