In-gel SOD assay reveals SOD-2 is the single active, water-soluble SOD enzyme in .

The nematode has a contingent of five genes, one of the largest among aerobic organisms. Earlier studies revealed each of the five genes is capable of making perfectly active SOD proteins in heterologous expression systems therefore none appears to be a pseudogene. Yet deletion of the entire contingent of genes fails to impose any effect on the survival of except these animals appear more sensitive to extraneously applied oxidative stress conditions.