InterPro domain: IPR027433

This superfamily represents a domain found in lipoxygenases.

Lipoxygenases ([intenz:1.13.11.-]) are a class of iron-containing dioxygenases which catalyses the hydroperoxidation of lipids, containing a cis,cis-1,4-pentadiene structure. They are common in plants where they may be involved in a number of diverse aspects of plant physiology including growth and development, pest resistance, and senescence or responses to wounding. Plants express a variety of cytosolic isozymes as well as what seems to be a chloroplast isozyme [ 1 ].

The iron atom in lipoxygenases is bound by four ligands, three of which arehistidine residues [ 2 ]. Six histidines are conserved in all lipoxygenase sequences, five of them are found clustered in a stretch of 40 amino acids. This region contains two of the three iron-ligands; the other histidines have been shown [ 3 ] to be important for the activity of lipoxygenases.

1. A novel lipoxygenase from rice. Primary structure and specific expression upon incompatible infection with rice blast fungus. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 3755-61
2. The three-dimensional structure of an arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenase. Science 260, 1482-6
3. Conserved histidine residues in soybean lipoxygenase: functional consequences of their replacement. Biochemistry 31, 4053-7