Genetics of superoxide dismutase in the forest tent caterpillar and other organisms

The electrophoretic assay of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in Malacosoma disstria revealed a total of 13 bands arranged in 9 patterns. One locus, composed of bands 28, 32, 36 was polymorphic in some locations. Band frequencies varied by location, but not by generation or by time in the laboratory. Significant interactions between sibling groups and SOD types for development time suggest that selective advantage is a function of genetic background. SOD, an important enzyme protecting diverse organisms against the toxic radicals of oxygen, has been extensively analyzed by biochemists. Geneticists have assayed individuals and populations for the smae enzyme, calling it tetrazolium oxidase (TO). The biochemistry and genetics literatures were reviewed and results from the two disciplines were discussed.