This gene encodes a member of the lipoxygenase family of structurally related nonheme iron dioxygenases involved in the production of fatty acid hydroperoxides. 15-LOX-2 has 38-39% amino acid sequence identity to human 15-LOX-1 and
12-lipoxygenase and 44% amino acid sequence identity to human
5-lipoxygenase. 15-LOX-2 converts
arachidonic acid almost exclusively to the
S stereoisomer of 15-Hydroperoxyicosatetraenoic acid which is commonly reduced to the
S stereoisomer
15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid by ubiquitous cellular
peroxidases; it metabolizes linoleic acid less effectively, converting this fatty acid to the
S stereoisomer of 13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid which is likewise rapidly reduced to the
S stereoisomer of
13-Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid. The ALOX15B gene is located in a cluster of related genes and a pseudogene that spans approximately 100 kilobases on the short arm of chromosome 17. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been described. == See also ==