Catalyzes the regio and stereo-specific incorporation of a single molecule of dioxygen into free and esterified polyunsaturated fatty acids generating lipid hydroperoxides that can be further reduced to the corresponding hydroxy species ( ). In the skin, acts upstream of ALOXE3 on the lineolate moiety of esterified omega-hydroxyacyl-sphingosine (EOS) ceramides to produce an epoxy-ketone derivative, a crucial step in the conjugation of omega-hydroxyceramide to membrane proteins . Therefore plays a crucial role in the synthesis of corneocytes lipid envelope and the establishment of the skin barrier to water loss . May also play a role in the regulation of the expression of airway mucins .
Subcellular locations: Cytoplasm, Cytoplasm, Perinuclear region
Expressed in B-cells, hair follicles, foreskin keratinocytes and adult skin. Also expressed in psoriatic tissue.