On the Capability of Oxidovanadium(IV) Derivatives to Act as All-Around Catalytic Promoters Since the Prebiotic World.

Patrizio Campitelli,Marcello Crucianelli

doi:10.3390/molecules25133073

Patrizio Campitelli, Marcello Crucianelli

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25133073

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Abstract

For a long time the biological role of vanadium was not known, while now the possibility of using its derivatives as potential therapeutic agents has given rise to investigations on their probable side effects. Vanadium compounds may inhibit different biochemical processes and lead to a variety of toxic effects and serious diseases. But, on the other hand, vanadium is an essential element for life. In recent years, increasing evidence has been acquired on the possible roles of vanadium in the higher forms of life. Despite several biochemical and physiological functions that have been suggested for vanadium and notwithstanding the amount of the knowledge so far accumulated, it still does not have a clearly defined role in the higher forms of life. What functions could vanadium or its very stable oxidovanadium(IV) derivatives have had in the prebiotic world and in the origins of life? In this review, we have briefly tried to highlight the most useful aspects that can be taken into consideration to give an answer to this still unresolved question and to show the high versatility of the oxidovanadium(IV) group to act as promoter of several oxidation reactions when coordinated with a variety of ligands, including diketones like acylpyrazolones.

Highlights

In this report, starting from the most updated theories on the role of vanadium oxides in prebiotic chemistry and trying to unravel their central position, if any, in the primordial chemistry of formamide, we briefly outlined a description of the main relevant functions of vanadium in biological inorganic chemistry
The role that vanadium could have actively played in a prebiotic evolutionary world has not yet been clearly demonstrated, the various hypotheses on prebiotic chemistry which have been so far proposed can help to better outline the contours within which delineate and define in a more realistic way this role
Main dissertations in the context of life occurrence in the prebiotic world, range from a terrestrial perspective, for example, the active role deriving from the particular high temperature and pressure values present in hydrothermal vents [87], to an extraterrestrial one, e.g., the several biogenic functions attributed to meteorites [12]

Summary

Main Relevant Functions of Vanadium in the Bioinorganic Chemistry

In 2004 Mukherjee et al highlighted how the bioinorganic role of vanadium compounds is rather contradictory; if, on the one hand, vanadium complexes showed cytotoxicity and aptitude to interfere with different ATPases, protein kinases, ribonucleases, and phosphatases; on the other hand, vanadium deficiency causes several physiological failures affecting, among others, thyroid, glucose, and lipid metabolism [36,37]. VNases have been found in diazotrophs among which is Azotobacter vinelandii, an obligate aerobic bacterium that shows the peculiarity of containing all three types of nitrogenases (molybdenum, vanadium, and iron-only) [58]. This class of metalloenzymes has various similarities with molybdenum nitrogenases in terms of homology in primary sequence and cluster composition since they are composed of a subunit-bridging [Fe onePEER.

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