Recent investigations into the lipoxygenase pathway of plants

The plant lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway is in many respects the equivalent of the 'arachidonic acid cascade' in animals. The LOX-catalyzed dioxygenation of the plant fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids, is followed by metabolism of the resulting fatty acid hydroperoxides by other enzymes. Although the physiological functions of the end-products do not appear to be fully defined at this time, hormonal and anti-fungal activities have been reported.