Interaction of Insulin-Enhancing Vanadium Compounds with Human Serum holo-Transferrin

The interaction of VO2+ ion and four insulin-enhancing compounds, [VO(ma)(2)], [VO(dhp)(2)], [VO(acac)(2)], and cis-[VO(pic)(2)(H2O)], where Hma, Hdhp, Hacac, and Hpic are maltol, 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridinone, acetylacetone, and picolinic acid, with holo-transferrin (holo-hTf) was studied through the combined application of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and density functional theory (DFT) methods. Since in holo-hTf all of the specific binding sites of transferrin are saturated by Fe3+ ions, VO2+ can interact with surface sites (here named sites C), probably via the coordination of His-N, Asp-COO-, and Glu-COO- donors. In the ternary systems with the insulin-enhancing compounds, mixed species are observed with Hma, Hdhp, and Hpic with the formation of VOL2(holo-hTf), explained through the interaction of cis-[VOL2(H2O)] (L = ma, dhp) or cis-[VOL2(OH)](-) (L = pic) with an accessible His residue that replaces the monodentate H2O or OH- ligand. The residues of His-289, His-349, His-473, and His-606 seem the most probable candidates for the complexation of the cis-VOL2 moiety. The lack of a ternary complex with Hacac was attributed to the square-pyramidal structure of [VO(acac)(2)], which does not possess equatorial sites that can be replaced by the surface His-N. Since holo-transferrin is recognized by the transferrin receptor, the formation of ternary complexes between VO2+ ion, a ligand L-, and holo-hTf may be a way to transport vanadium compounds inside the cells.