Soybean seeds contain three lipoxygenase isozymes. The functions of these lipoxygenase isozymes inn‐hexanal generation were investigated by using mutant lines which lack two or three isozymes. In the presence of linoleic acid, the level ofn‐hexanal produced was highest in the lipoxygenase‐1, ‐3 double deficient line, followed by the lipoxygenase‐2, ‐3 double deficient, wild type, and lipoxygenase‐1, ‐2, ‐3 triple deficient lines in that order, and lowest in the lipoxygenase‐1, ‐2 double deficient line. This suggests that lipoxygenase‐3 itself cannot produce then‐hexanal precursor and inhibits then‐hexanal generation through other pathways.
