Back to discover

Protein / target

Polyunsaturated fatty acid lipoxygenase ALOX15

Encoded byALOX15P16050Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
High-Quality Ligand
2
Research papers

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate binding

Strongest disease association

Nasal Polyps

Via encoding gene ALOX15 · Genetic evidence · score 0.65

Research activity

Emerging research

2 papers · latest 2023

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Non-heme iron-containing dioxygenase that catalyzes the stereo-specific peroxidation of free and esterified polyunsaturated fatty acids generating a spectrum of bioactive lipid mediators.

View complete UniProt function annotation

Non-heme iron-containing dioxygenase that catalyzes the stereo-specific peroxidation of free and esterified polyunsaturated fatty acids generating a spectrum of bioactive lipid mediators (PubMed:17052953, PubMed:1944593, PubMed:24282679, PubMed:25293588, PubMed:32404334, PubMed:8334154). It inserts peroxyl groups at C12 or C15 of arachidonate ((5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)-eicosatetraenoate) producing both 12-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoate/12-HPETE and 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoate/15-HPETE (PubMed:17052953, PubMed:1944593, PubMed:24282679, PubMed:8334154). It may then act on 12-HPETE to produce hepoxilins, which may show pro-inflammatory properties (By similarity). Can also peroxidize linoleate ((9Z,12Z)-octadecadienoate) to 13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoate/13-HPODE (PubMed:8334154). May participate in the sequential oxidations of DHA ((4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)-docosahexaenoate) to generate specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs)like resolvin D5 ((7S,17S)-diHPDHA) and (7S,14S)-diHPDHA, that actively down-regulate the immune response and have anti-aggregation properties with platelets (PubMed:32404334). Can convert epoxy fatty acids to hydroperoxy-epoxides derivatives followed by an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution leading to the formation of monocyclic endoperoxides (PubMed:25293588). Plays an important role during the maintenance of self-tolerance by peroxidizing membrane-bound phosphatidylethanolamine which can then signal the sorting process for clearance of apoptotic cells during inflammation and prevent an autoimmune response. In addition to its role in the immune and inflammatory responses, this enzyme may play a role in epithelial wound healing in the cornea through production of lipoxin A4 (LXA(4)) and docosahexaenoic acid-derived neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1; 10R,17S-HDHA), both lipid autacoids exhibit anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Furthermore, it may regulate actin polymerization which is crucial for several biological processes such as the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. It is also implicated in the generation of endogenous ligands for peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR-gamma), hence modulating macrophage development and function. It may also exert a negative effect on skeletal development by regulating bone mass through this pathway. As well as participates in ER stress and downstream inflammation in adipocytes, pancreatic islets, and liver (By similarity). Finally, it is also involved in the cellular response to IL13/interleukin-13 (PubMed:21831839)

Subcellular location

Cytoplasm, cytosolCell membraneLipid droplet
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (37)

Domains & features

PLATLipoxygenase

Gene Ontology

  • Ccytoplasmic side of plasma membrane
  • Ccytosol
  • Clipid droplet
  • Cmembrane
  • Cplasma membrane
  • Farachidonate 12(S)-lipoxygenase activity
  • Farachidonate 15-lipoxygenase activity
  • Firon ion binding
  • Flinoleate 13S-lipoxygenase activity
  • Fphosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate binding
  • Papoptotic cell clearance
  • Parachidonate metabolic process

662 aa · 75 kDa · 2 isoforms

Biological roles

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Lipid & lipoprotein metabolismUniProt · GOImmune signallingUniProt · GO
View supporting evidence

Lipid & lipoprotein metabolism

  • ·Non-heme iron-containing dioxygenase that catalyzes the stereo-specific peroxidation of…
  • ·fatty acid oxidation
  • ·lipid metabolic process
  • ·long-chain fatty acid biosynthetic process

Immune signalling

  • ·Non-heme iron-containing dioxygenase that catalyzes the stereo-specific peroxidation of…
  • ·cellular response to interleukin-13
  • ·inflammatory response
  • ·negative regulation of adaptive immune response

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene ALOX15

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene ALOX15that encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Asthma
0.66Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.40

Nasal Polyps
0.66Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.40

Rhinitis, Allergic
0.64Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.39

Hypersensitivity
0.57Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.35

Chronic rhinosinusitis
0.57Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.35

View evidence synthesis (5)
AsthmaModerately supported
0.66
agreement 0.530.80
Genetic88%Literature12%

Open Targets aggregate 0.40 · 2 independent evidence families

Nasal PolypsModerately supported
0.66
agreement 0.520.80
Genetic96%Literature4%

Open Targets aggregate 0.40 · 2 independent evidence families

Rhinitis, AllergicModerately supported
0.64
agreement 0.500.78
Genetic98%Literature2%

Open Targets aggregate 0.39 · 2 independent evidence families

HypersensitivityModerately supported
0.57
agreement 0.440.71
Genetic99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.35 · 2 independent evidence families

Chronic rhinosinusitisModerately supported
0.57
agreement 0.430.71
Genetic98%Literature2%

Open Targets aggregate 0.35 · 2 independent evidence families

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Asthma0.40
Nasal Polyps0.40
Rhinitis, Allergic0.39
Hypersensitivity0.35
Chronic rhinosinusitis0.35
Immune System Diseases0.26

Tractability

Small moleculesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (high-quality ligand and druggable family) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

AntibodiesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (uniprot loc high conf and go cc med conf) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (database ubiquitination and small molecule binder) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

View underlying tractability evidence (6)
SM · High-Quality LigandSM · Druggable FamilyAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC med confPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Small Molecule Binder

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Research activity

2 papers · to 2023

Papers linked directly to this protein. This is the protein's own literature — descriptor-derived papers are kept separate below.

Most cited

Reichert CO · International journal of molecular sciences · 2020

Recent

Europe PMC papers linked directly to this protein.