As a first-row transition metal, vanadium can undergo numerous hydrolytic and chemical reactions in eukaryotic cells under physiological conditions. In model membrane systems, vanadium compounds interact with the lipid surfactants and either partially or fully penetrate the lipid interface. In eukaryotic cells, vanadium compounds interact with the plasma membrane lipid bilayer and drive signaling by three membrane proteins, identified to date, that function as receptors for physiologically important hormones. Perturbations in lipid order caused by vanadium compounds indirectly drive cell signaling by receptors that, in response to changes in lipid order, become concentrated in plasma membrane rafts. Importantly, this response occurs without binding of ligand to its receptor or direct interactions between receptor and vanadium compounds. We review here results reported for two tyrosine kinase receptors, the insulin receptor involved in regulating glucose uptake into cells and the Type I Fcε receptors (FcεRI) involved in allergic responses. In addition, we examine the effects of vanadium compounds on a G protein-coupled receptor, the luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), which is important in reproductive functions in both males and females. Together these observations document a novel mechanism of drug action that may be generalizable to other plasma membrane proteins using rafts to signal.

作为第一行过渡金属，钒在生理条件下可以在真核细胞中经历许多水解和化学反应。在模型膜系统中，钒化合物与脂质表面活性剂相互作用，并部分或完全渗透脂质界面。在真核细胞中，钒化合物与质膜脂质双分子层相互作用，并通过三种膜蛋白（迄今已确定）驱动信号传递，这三种膜蛋白起着重要生理激素的受体的作用。钒化合物引起的脂质顺序扰动间接驱动受体发出的细胞信号，这些受体响应脂质顺序的变化而集中在质膜筏中。重要的是，该反应的发生没有配体与其受体的结合或受体与钒化合物之间的直接相互作用。我们在这里回顾两个酪氨酸激酶受体的报告结果，这两个胰岛素受体参与调节葡萄糖向细胞的摄取，而I型Fcε受体（FcεRI）参与过敏反应。此外，我们研究了钒化合物对G蛋白偶联受体黄体生成激素受体（LHR）的影响，该受体在雄性和雌性生殖功能中均很重要。这些观察结果共同证明了一种新型的药物作用机制，该机制可能会通过筏筏向其他质膜蛋白推广。黄体生成素受体（LHR），对男性和女性的生殖功能都很重要。这些观察结果共同证明了一种新型的药物作用机制，该机制可能会通过筏筏向其他质膜蛋白推广。黄体生成素受体（LHR），对男性和女性的生殖功能都很重要。这些观察结果共同证明了一种新的药物作用机制，该机制可能会通过筏筏向其他质膜蛋白推广。