Chemistry and biochemistry of vanadium.

The transition metal vanadium is considered to be essential for plants and animals. In order to understand its physiological function, some important chemical properties of V are reviewed, e.g. its redox activity and the tendency of V3+, VO2+, and VO3- ions to form chelates with numerous ligands. A survey of the occurrence and distribution of kV in geochemistry and in living organisms is followed by a consideration of the V influence on several metabolic events such as microbial nitrogen metabolism, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and activation or inhibition of regulatory enzymes.

[Heavy metal content (As, Pb, Cd, Hg) of vegetables which grow above ground and fruits (author's transl)]. / Gehalt an Schwermetallen (Arsen, Blei, Cadmium, Quecksilber) in oberirdisch wachsenden Gemüse- und Obstarten.

157 samples from 16 varieties of vegetable, whose above ground tissues are consumed, and 83 samples from 6 varieties of fruit were examined by atomic absorption spectroscopy for arsenic, lead and mercury contamination. Leafy vegetables were found to be more heavily contaminated than the other vegetable varieties. Fruits without exception had less heavy metal than vegetables. The results obtained were compared with the guide line values of the German regulatory authority ZEBS and with the recommendations of WHO for weekly tolerance values for lead cadmium and mercury. It was determined that the average weekly exposure of the population of the BRD is below the maximum tolerance level.

The role of vanadium in gree plants. II. Vanadium in green algae--two sites of action.

Cells of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, derived from vanadium free agar slants, respond with great sensitivity to microamounts of vanadium, added as NH4VO3 to autotrophic liquid cultures. Between 0.01 and 1 microgram V per litre nutrient medium (2-10(-10)-2-10(-8) g-at/1), the algae respond with a continuous incrase in dry weight. At higher V-concentrations, further enhancement in biomass is accompanied by a additional increase in chlorophyll content. Maximum V-effect on both parameters was found to be at 500 microgram V/1 (10(-5) G-AT/1). Dry weight as well as chlorophyll content of Chlorella are decreased by concentrations above 25 mg V/1; 100 mg V/1 (2-10(-3) g-at/1) stop growth and cause death of the cells. The toxic threshold for the V-content in the algae was determined to be at 150-200 microgram V/g (3-4-10(-6) g-at/g) dry weight. Two different pH-optima for a positive vanadium action on dry weight and chlorophyll biosynthesis were established, the first at pH 7, the other in the range pH 7.5--8. Two sites of vanadium action in green algae are discussed.

Effect of vanadium on growth, chlorophyll formation and iron metabolism in unicellular green algae.

In the presence of vanadium, growth of Scenedesmus obliquus and Chlorella pyrenoidosa was increased five to sixfold as determined by dry weight, when cultured under autotrophic conditions for 7 days. The stimulation by vanadium decreased with increasing stability towards hydrolysis of the iron(III)-compounds added. Pentavalent vanadium (20 mug V/1 as NH4VO3) was able to overcome completely a limited iron-deficiency in the algae following growth in presence of 1.8 - 10(-5) m ferric chloride. Vanadium did not alter the iron uptake into the algal cells. 90% of offered 48V was taken up by Scenedesmus obliquus during 5 days of growth, and 21% thereof were found in the chloroplast fraction. In presence of vanadium, the chlorophyll formation was stimulated in Scenedesmus obliquus. This stimulation by vanadium was found to be light-dependent but occurred to a certain extent in the dark also. The main porphyrin of the yellow mutant 211-11h/20 of Chlorella vulgaris was identified as protoporphyrin-IX. The formation of this compound was stimulated by vanadium within 10 days up to 83%. The role of vanadium in the biosynthesis of chlorophylls is discussed.