Lipoxygenases

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are a family of non-heme iron dioxygenases that are involved in the production and metabolism of fatty acid hydroperoxidases. There are six lipoxygenase isozymes; 5-LOX, 12R-LOX, 12S-LOX, 15-LOX-1 and 15-LOX-2, which catalyze the regio-selective addition of oxygen into arachidonic acid, and epidermal LOX (E-LOX) which metabolizes 12R-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12R-HPETE) to a specific epoxyalcohol compound.

Different isozymes have different physiological roles; 5-, 12R-, 12S- and 15-LOX-1 have proliferative, antiapoptotic and angiogenic functions whilst 15-LOX-2 has roles in differentiation, growth arrest and the induction of apoptosis. E-LOX, the most divergent member of this family, is involved in terminal differentiation of keratinocytes and has a major role in skin barrier function. Perturbations in lipoxygenase enzymes have been implicated in various human diseases including bronchial asthma, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and some cancers.

External sources of pharmacological information for Lipoxygenases :

• IUPHAR Receptor Code

• BJP Guide

Lipoxygenase Gene Data