The paper covers the steadily expanding field of enzymes and compounds related to the various reactions within the lipoxygenase metabolism in plants. Research on lipoxygenases started with the enzymes from plants in the early 1930s. The importance of their metabolites in mammals was recognized about 30 years ago. In recent years, however, various branches within the so-called lipoxygenase pathway were identified, including new compounds in plants and mammals. Several of these compounds were shown to function as signals in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress as well as in plant development. Most prominent signals generated in this pathway are jasmonates and their precursors, the octadecanoids. The paper gives an overview on chemistry, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of the pathway. Consequently, the paper is of particular interest for a large scientific community working in aspects where lipid peroxidation, jasmonates, and other LOX-derived signals are of importance.

The paper summarizes recent reports on chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology of plant lipoxygenases and other enzymes metabolizing lipid peroxides in plants.

Plants respond to stress with membrane damage which is accompanied by lipid peroxidation initiated by the large enzyme family of lipoxygenases. Subsequent reactions generate signals, such as jasmonates, which induce expression of defense genes.

In the eighties, the Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle/Saale, Germany, was among the first studying the occurrence and action of jasmonates. Consequently, during the last decade, our groups became interested in the molecular biology of lipoxygenases and other enzymes of the lipoxygenase pathway including studies on the mode of action of jasmonates. Studies were done in a combination of analytical work (metabolite profiling), reverse genetic and cell biology.