Vanadium detoxification and resistance in yeast: a minireview*

The study of the effects exerted by vanadium on living systems has recently became an object of growing interest. In fact, the possibility to develop vanadium as a new drug in the treatment of diabetes and cancer calls for the individuation of the cellular vanadate-sensitive targets. Moreover, the fact that vanadium can be an environmental pollutant in urban and industrial areas, as a consequence of the combustion of petroleum, coal, and heavy oils, requires the elucidation of the mechanisms by which living organisms protect themselves from the toxic effects of this metal ion. Studies on the cellular response to vanadate in yeast have shown that the activation of different concerted mechanisms is involved in the detoxification of vanadium. Moreover, the isolation and characterisation of genes involved in vanadate-sensitivity and resistance have shed light on some of the numerous cellular vanadate sensitive targets.