ALOX12 and bacterial infectious disease with sepsis: The major Sp virulence factor pneumolysin (PLY), a cytolysin that drives tissue damage and promotes early bacteremia (25, –, 27), stimulates the 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) pathway in epithelial cells and results in the synthesis and apical secretion of eicosanoid PMN chemoattractants (17, 28, 29).