ABSTRACT
Among the promising fields of plant lipid research which have received special attention, the study of oxygenated fatty acids stands out as an exciting example of a discipline in which important discoveries are yet to be revealed. Fatty acid oxidation in plants occurs by at least four separate pathways. Two of these, α- and ß-oxidation, result in the removal of one or two carbon units, respectively, from the carboxyl terminus of the fatty acid carbon chain. Lipoxygenase catalyzes the incorporation of dioxygen into polyunsaturated fatty acids containing a 1Z,4Z-pentadiene structure. In plants, the two most abundant fatty acids with this feature are linoleic and α-linolenic acids. Double dioxygenation of α-linolenic acid seems to occur only if the initial oxygenation is at C-9. Hydroperoxide lyase catalyzes the cleavage of fatty acid hydroperoxides into aldehyde and oxoacid fragments. The existence of the enzyme was first predicted from studies on the biogenesis of volatiles from bananas and other fruits.
