SOD1 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: However, disease-causative mutations in the SOD1 protein variably affect protein function, and knockout of SOD1 in animals does not result in an ALS-like disease, such that the primary mechanism of toxicity of mutant SOD1 is considered to be a gain-of-function even if alterations in SOD1 function may modify disease presentation (Valentine et al., 2005; Saccon et al., 2013).