FROM VANADIS TO ATROPOS - VANADIUM COMPOUNDS AS PHARMACOLOGICAL TOOLSIN CELL-DEATH SIGNALING

Vanadium compounds exert a variety of biological responses, the most n otable being their effects as insulin mimetics. More recently, they ha ve been used as pharmacological tools to investigate signalling pathwa ys. Some peroxovanadium compounds act as powerful protein tyrosine pho sphatase inhibitors, modulating both the extent and duration of phosph otyrosine signals at the level of the transmembrane growth factor rece ptors and targets in the cytoplasm and nucleus. A brief history of van adium compounds, selected chemical properties of vanadium compounds an d the ability of peroxovanadium complexes to modulate the activities o f protein tyrosine phosphatases and tyrosine kinases are presented in this review by Anne Morinville, Dusica Maysinger and Alan Shaver. From the range of biological activities of these compounds, this review fo cuses on cytotoxic effects and possible roles of mitogen-activated pro tein kinases in mediating the effects exerted by vanadium compounds.