Lipoxygenases in plants--their role in development and stress response.

Lipoxygenases catalyze the hydroperoxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and thus the first step in the synthesis of fatty acid metabolites in plants. Products of the LOX pathway have multiple functions as growth regulators, antimicrobial compounds, flavours and odours as well as signal molecules. Based on the effects of LOX products or on the correlation of increases in LOX protein and the onset of specific processes, a physiological function for LOXs has been proposed for growth and development and for the plant response to pathogen infection and wound stress.