We report on the isolation and characterization of cDNA clones for mouse lysyl hydroxylases 1, 2 and 3 (LH1, LH2, LH3). Phylogenetic analysis using nine lysyl hydroxylase sequences from five species indicates that the isoforms are derived from an ancestral gene by two duplication events, isoforms 1 and 2 being more closely related and having resulted from a more recent duplication than isoform 3. Expression of the isoforms is highly regulated in adult mouse tissues. LH1 is strongly expressed in the liver, heart, lung, skeletal muscle and kidney tissue, LH2 expression is high in the heart, lung, kidney, eye, ovary and placenta, whereas LH3 expression is high in the heart, lung, liver and testis tissue.