LOXL1 belongs to the heterogeneous lysyl oxidase family of extracellular enzymes. Among other functions, they are involved in the oxidative deamination of lysine residues of tropoelastin resulting in the cross-linking of collagen and elastin fibres. They, thus, play a crucial role in the maintenance of elastic fibres, serving as both a crosslinking enzyme and an element of the scaffold to ensure spatially defined elastin deposition.
Mutations in LOXL1 have been associated with Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome (XFS), an age related systemic disorder characterized by the deposition of grayish-white amyloid like protein fibres in the anterior segment of the eye.