Superoxide dismutase expression in the lizard genus Anolis: systematic significance of a silenced gene

Abstract

Data on the expression of a duplicated superoxide dismutase locus are presented for 41 species in the lizard genus Anolis. Expression of a single locus in these forms has resulted from several loss (silencing) events, and is regarded as a derived condition from the primitive duplicated state. There is apparent consistency in the presence or loss of the duplication within several groups known to be related based on morphological or other biochemical evidence. However, it is demonstrated here that the silencing of the gene has occurred independently in several infrageneric lineages.