15-Lipoxygenase-2 (15-LO-2)

Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase type II is a member of the lipoxygenase family of structurally related nonheme iron dioxygenases involved in the production of fatty acid hydroperoxides. The encoded protein converts arachidonic acid exclusively to 15S-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid, while metabolizing linoleic acid less effectively.

When expressed in mammalian cells, ALOX15B converted arachidonic acid exclusively to 15S-hydroperoxide, while linoleic acid was a relatively poor substrate. Northern blot analysis detected expression of a 2.5- to 3-kb ALOX15B mRNA in lung, cornea, and prostate. The previously characterized ALOX15 has distinct catalytic activities and is strongly expressed in specific blood cell types.