Occurrence of a New Lipoxygenase Isoenzyme in Germinating Barley Embryos

Partially purified preparations of lipoxygenase from the germinating barley embryos converted linoleic acid to 9- and 13-hydroperoxy linoleic acids in the ratio of approximately 3:1, while the similar preparations from the ungerminated embryos converted linoleic acid mainly to 9-hydroperoxy linoleic acid.

Isoelectric focusing of the partially purified preparations of the germinating embryos revealed the presence of the two lipoxygenase active peaks, having isoelectric point at pH 4.9 and 6.6, respectively. The former peak (barley lipoxygenase-1) was identical to lipoxygenase of the ungerminated embryos, but the latter peak (barley lipoxygenase-2) was found only in the germinating embryos. The newly found isoenzyme, barley lipoxygenase-2, converted linoleic acid mainly to 13-hydroperoxy linoleic acid, and could oxidize esterified derivatives of linoleic acid (methyl linoleate and trilinolein) much strongly than barley lipoxygenase-1.