Rat testis lipoxygenase-like enzyme characterization of products from linoleic acid

The linoleate oxidation products of the affinity chromatography-purified lipoxygenase-like enzyme isolated from rat testes microsomes were characterized. Three types of reaction products separated by thin-layer chromatography were generally present: polar byproducts (A and B) and hydroperoxides. The methyl hydroxystearates obtained from the enzymically produced hydroperoxides were analysed by gas-liquid chromatography and showed a ratio of 67% 13-hydroxy isomer to 33% 9-hydroxy isomer. The major polar byproduct was analysed by infrared spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry (of the toluene-p-sulphonyl derivative) and its structure was established as 13-hydroxy-12-oxo-octadec-cis-9-enoic acid. The possibility of the existence of a linoleate hydroperoxide isomerase in the affinity-purified preparation is discussed.