The preceding data strongly indicate that mini-w does not impact behavioral performance in ethanol sedation assays using flies with essentially normal ethanol sensitivity. We reasoned, however, that mini-w could have subtle effects on performance in ethanol sedation assays that would be revealed in flies with altered baseline ethanol sensitivity. To test this possibility, we co-expressed w RNAi in conjunction with UAS-RNAi transgenes against Cnx14D (v5597) or ph-p (v50024). Expression of the Cnx14D and ph-p UAS-RNAi transgenes (identified in a reverse genetic screen that will be reported elsewhere) decrease and increase ethanol sensitivity, respectively (Figure 5A and 5B). To achieve coincident expression of RNAi against w and either Cnx14D or ph-p, we generated flies containing a recombinant X chromosome harboring an elav-Gal4 driver and the v30034 RNAi transgene in cis. Eye pigmentation in flies with this recombinant chromosome (elav-Gal4,v30034) was indistinguishable from w1118 null flies (Figure S2A), indicating strong knockdown of mini-w. Ethanol sensitivity in ethanol sedation assays was statistically indistinguishable in w1118 nulls, flies expressing mini-w (elav-Gal4/+ and v5597/+ controls) and w knockdown flies (elav-Gal4,v30034/+) (Figure 5A). Expression of Cnx14D
