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NADH oxidation, catalyzed by the microsomal enzyme system is stimulated on addition of polymeric vanadate. Maximum stimulation by polymeric vanadate was obtained in the presence of phosphate buffer. The small stimulation obtained by metavanadate (500 microM) increased on acidification followed by neutralization, or on adding a trace amount of polymeric vanadate (1 microM).
In the presence of vanadate (Vi) and ADP, myosin ATPase forms a stable inactive complex (myosin.ADP.Vi) at the active site. To elucidate the nature of the inactive complex, we studied the effect of Vi plus ADP on the interaction of heavy meromyosin (HMM) with F-actin. 1) Viscosity measurements showed that the actin-HMM rigor complex was dissociated into actin and HMM by Vi and ADP (both 10(-3) M range). 2) When the HMM.ADP.Vi complex isolated by gel filtration was mixed with actin in the absence of free Vi, about 60% of the added HMM formed a complex with actin, and more than 70% of the HMM bound to actin released Vi and ADP. 3) When a mixture of the isolated HMM.ADP.Vi complex with actin was dialyzed against a buffer without free Vi and free ADP, only less than 10% of Vi and ADP, which were originally bound to the HMM, were retained in the dialysis tube after 4 days. In contrast, if actin was omitted, about 80% of Vi and ADP were retained. 4) These results indicate that the HMM.ADP-Vi complex is dissociated from actin, and that Vi and ADP originally trapped at the HMM active site can be almost completely released from the active site by actin if free (released) Vi and ADP are concomitantly removed.
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1. Inhalation of vanadium compounds, particularly vanadate, is a cause of occupational bronchial asthma. We have now studied the action of vanadate on human isolated bronchus. Vanadate (0.1 microM-3 mM) produced concentration-dependent, well-sustained contraction. Its -logEC50 was 3.74 +/- 0.05 (mean +/- s.e.mean) and its maximal effect was equivalent to 97.5 +/- 4.2% of the response to acetylcholine (ACh, 1 mM). 2. Vanadate (200 microM)-induced contraction of human bronchus was epithelium-independent and was not inhibited by indomethacin (2.8 microM), zileuton (10 microM), a mixture of atropine, mepyramine and phentolamine (each at 1 microM), or by mast cell degranulation with compound 48/80. 3. Vanadate (200 microM)-induced contraction was unaltered by tissue exposure to verapamil or nifedipine (each 1 microM) or to a Ca2+-free, EGTA (0.1 mM)-containing physiological salt solution (PSS). However, tissue incubation with ryanodine (10 microM) in Ca2+-free, EGTA (0.1 mM)-containing PSS reduced vanadate-induced contraction. A series of vanadate challenges was made in tissues exposed to Ca2+-free EGTA (0.1 mM)-containing PSS with the object of depleting intracellular Ca2+ stores. In such tissues cyclopiazonic acid (CPA; 10 microM) prevented Ca2+-induced recovery of vanadate-induced contraction. 4. Tissue incubation in K+-rich (80 mM) PSS, K+-free PSS, or PSS containing ouabain (10 microM) did not alter vanadate (200 microM)-induced contraction. Ouabain (10 microM) abolished the K+-induced relaxation of human bronchus bathed in K+-free PSS. This action was not shared by vanadate (200 microM). The tissue content of Na+ was increased and the tissue content of K+ was decreased by ouabain (10 microM). In contrast, vanadate (200 microM) did not alter the tissue content of these ions. Tissue incubation in a Na+-deficient (25 mM) PSS or in PSS containing amiloride (0.1 mM) markedly inhibited the spasmogenic effect of vanadate (200 microM). 5. Vanadate (200 microM)-induced contractions were markedly reduced by tissue treatment with each of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors H-7 (10 microM), staurosporine (1 microM) and calphostin C (1 microM). Genistein (100 microM), an inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinase, also reduced the response to vanadate. 6 Vanadate (0.1-3 mM) and ACh (1 microM- 3 mM) each increased inositol phosphate accumulation in bronchus. Such responses were unaffected by a Ca2+-free medium either alone or in combination with ryanodine (10 microM). 7. In human cultured tracheal smooth muscle cells, histamine (100 microM) and vanadate (200 microM) each produced a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). 8. Intracellular microelectrode recording showed that the contractile effect of vanadate (200 microM) in human bronchus was associated with cellular depolarization. 9. It is concluded that vanadate acts directly on human bronchial smooth muscle, promoting the release of Ca2+ from an intracellular store. The Ca2+ release mechanism involves both the production of inositol phosphate second messengers and inhibition of Ca-ATPase. The activation of PKC plays an important role in mediating vanadate-induced contraction at values of [Ca2+]i that are close to basal.
Vanadate binding to different sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane preparations was determined by measuring bound vanadate colorimetrically and by phosphorylating the vanadate-free enzyme fraction with [gamma-32P] ATP. Colorimetry allowed the study of the dependence of equilibrium vanadate binding on ionized magnesium and the displacing effect of ionized calcium at vanadate concentrations greater than 0.1 mM only. At saturating magnesium concentration the enzyme binds 6-8 nmol vanadate/mg protein and half-maximum saturation is reached at 40 microM. Vanadate is displaced from the enzyme when its high-affinity calcium-binding sites are saturated and conversely calcium is solely displaced from its high-affinity binding sites by vanadate. The phosphorylation procedure allowed the measurement of equilibrium binding as well as the kinetics of vanadate binding and release at vanadate concentrations below 0.1 mM. Half-times of 30s and 3s were observed for vanadate release induced by 0.1 mM and 1 mM calcium respectively. Millimolar concentrations of ATP are required for vanadate displacement. Under equilibrium conditions the enzyme displays an affinity for vanadate of 1.6 X 10(6) M-1. The dependence on the concentration of vanadate of the rate of vanadate binding yielded an affinity of only 1 X 10(4) M-1. Closed vesicles bind vanadate much more slowly than calcium-permeable preparations. The initial rate of calcium-induced vanadate dissociation is accelerated considerably when the vesicles are made calcium permeable. The rate of vanadate dissociation from calcium-permeable vesicles reaches half-maximum values at 1-2 mM calcium indicating that the internal low-affinity calcium-binding sites must first be occupied in order to release bound vanadate. The results suggest that vanadate binding leads to a transition of the external high to internal low-affinity calcium-binding sites.
Vanadate, the major oxidized form of the essential trace element vanadium, has rapid effects on glucose transport in vitro and more delayed effects on glucose transport in vivo. We addressed the question that one potential mechanism for the delayed effects of vanadate on glucose homeostasis could be altered expression of one or more of the genes encoding glucose transporters. To do this we studied vanadate regulation of Glut-1 and Glut-4 in NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts. Vanadate (5-40 microM) induced cells to proliferate to higher cell densities, and in addition, 40 microM vanadate caused the cells to exhibit a transformed morphology. Glut-1 mRNA was maximally induced 4- to 5-fold over the control value after 6-h exposure to 30 microM vanadate. Unlike the response to serum and growth factors, the vanadate-induced increase in Glut-1 mRNA remained elevated over the control value in the presence of vanadate for 5 days. The vanadate effect was serum dependent and was fully reversible when vanadate was removed from the medium. In the absence of vanadate, the half-life of Glut-1 mRNA was 0.5-1 h, whereas after treatment for 5 h with 30 microM vanadate the half-life was increased to 1.5-2 h. Thus, mRNA stabilization accounts for at least a part of the increase in glucose transporter mRNA levels after vanadate treatment. Glut-4 mRNA was not detected in these cells in either the absence or presence of vanadate. While the importance of this increased Glut-1 gene expression for the vanadate effect on normalization of blood glucose in vivo remains to be determined, an association between vanadate-induced cell proliferation and transformed phenotype, and vanadate-induced Glut-1 mRNA in vitro has been made. Possible potential therapeutic use of vanadate for treatment of diabetes must, therefore, be viewed with caution.
Phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain (LC20-P1) is the major route of smooth muscle activation. However, after prior exposure to vanadate, permeabilized guinea pig taenia coli smooth muscle contracts in the absence of LC20-P1. We characterized the vanadate-induced contraction and investigated the mechanism of this novel activation pathway. Addition of vanadate to a control contracture (6.6 microM Ca2+) inhibits force (effective dose for 50% response was approximately 100 microM). In contrast, preincubation with high concentrations of vanadate (threshold at 1-2 mM) elicited a contraction on subsequent transfer of the fiber to a vanadate-free, Ca(2+)-free solution. Maximum isometric force of approximately 60% of control was obtained in fibers preincubated in 4 mM vanadate for 10 min. Addition of Ca2+ to a vanadate-induced contracture increased force, but the total force never exceeded the initial control. After maximal thiophosphorylation of LC20 with adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), treatment with vanadate did not increase force. Unloaded shortening velocity (Vmax) was similar in Ca2+ and vanadate contractures and was additive. After thiophosphorylation, preincubation in vanadate had no effect on Vmax, suggesting that vanadate affected the number of activated bridges and not cycle rate. Vanadate mechanisms likely involve oxidation, since preincubation with 4 mM vanadate and 25 mM dithiothreitol (DTT) did not produce force. DTT could reverse a vanadate-induced contracture in 30-60 min. Subsequently, fibers demonstrated control contraction/relaxation cycles. Thus vanadate treatment did not cause irreversible damage, such as the extraction of proteins. Potential oxidation sites are proteins at 17 kDa and between 30 and 40 kDa, which were not alkylated by N-ethylmaleimide if they were treated in the presence of vanadate or in the rigor state. Vanadate-induced contractures are likely mediated by a reversible oxidation that activates cross bridges similarly to that of LC20-Pi and may play an important role in oxidant injury.
Vanadate dimer and tetramer inhibit glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The inhibition by a vanadate mixture containing vanadate monomer, dimer, tetramer, and pentamer was determined by measuring the rates of glucose 6-phosphate oxidation and reduction of NAD (or NADP) catalyzed by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The inhibition by vanadate is competitive with respect to NAD or NADP and noncompetitive (a mixed type) with respect to glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) when NAD or NADP are cofactors. This inhibition pattern varies from that observed with phosphate and thus suggests vanadate interacts differently than a phosphate analogue with the enzyme. 51V NMR spectroscopy was used to directly correlate the inhibition of vanadate solutions to the vanadate dimer and/or tetramer, respectively. The activity of the vanadate oligomer varied depending on the cofactor and which substrate was being varied. The vanadate dimer was the major inhibiting species with respect to NADP. This is in contrast to the vanadate tetramer, which was the major inhibiting species with respect to G6P and with respect to NAD. The inhibition by vanadate when G6P was varied was weak. The competitive inhibition pattern with respect to NAD and NADP suggests the possibility that vanadate oligomers may also inhibit catalysis of other NAD- or NADP-requiring dehydrogenases. Significant concentrations of vanadate dimer and tetramer are only found at fairly high vanadate concentrations, so these species are not likely to represent vanadium species present under normal physiological conditions. It is however possible the vanadate dimer and/or tetramer represent toxic vanadate species.
Cellular vanadium metabolism was studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by isolating and characterizing vanadate [VO4(3-), V(V)]-resistant mutants. Vanadate growth inhibition was reversed by the removal of the vanadate from the medium, and vanadate resistance was found to be a recessive trait. Vanadate-resistant mutants isolated from glucose-grown cells were divided into five complementation classes containing more than one mutant. Among the vanadate-resistant mutants isolated in maltose medium, the majority of mutants were found in only two complementation groups. Three of the classes of vanadate-resistant mutants were resistant to 2.5 mM vanadate but sensitive to 5.0 mM vanadate in liquid media. Two classes of vanadate-resistant mutants were resistant to growth in media containing up to 5.0 mM vanadate. Electron spin resonance studies showed that representative strains of the vanadate-resistant complementation classes contained more cell-associated vanadyl [VO2+, V(IV)] than the parental strains. 51 Vanadium nuclear magnetic resonance studies showed that one of the vanadate resonances previously associated with cell toxicity (G. R. Willsky, D. A. White, and B. C. McCabe, J. Biol. Chem. 259:13273-132812, 1984) did not accumulate in the resistant strains compared with the sensitive strain. The amount of vanadate remaining in the media after growth was larger for the sensitive strain than for the vanadate-resistant strains. All of the strains were able to accumulate phosphate, vanadate, and vanadyl.
We show here that a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, sodium orthovanadate, induces rat pheochromocytoma cells to express neurites, a prominent morphological marker of neuronal phenotype. Vanadate-induced differentiation and neurite outgrowth in pheochromocytoma cells was not as extensive as that induced by the positive control employed, nerve growth factor. However, neurite outgrowth responses were comparable between nerve growth factor-treated pheochromocytoma cells and cells primed and then restimulated with vanadate. In the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, a single exposure to vanadate induced neurite extension in this cell line equal to that initiated by nerve growth factor. In both cell lines vanadate treatment resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of several high-molecular-weight proteins and using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, intense fluorescence was observed in the cell body and neurites of pheochromocytoma cells exposed to vanadate. Vanadate mediated differentiation and neurite outgrowth in pheochromocytoma cells could be ablated by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor erbastatin, whereas nerve growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth was only partially inhibited. In SH-SY5Y cells, erbstatin mediated partial inhibition of both vanadate and nerve growth factor-induced neurite elongation with similar kinetics. In contrast, K252b, a trk tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exhibited only a 30% reduction of neurite outgrowth in vanadate treated pheochromocytoma cells but an 80% reduction in nerve growth factor-treated cells. In SH-SY5Y cells, K252a did not have a statistically significant effect on neurite elongation induced by vanadate in contrast to a 60% reduction in nerve growth factor-treated cells. The membrane impermeable analogue K252b, had no effect on neurite elongation induced with either vanadate or nerve growth factor in these cells. The effects of vanadate were not mimicked by ouabain (0.1-50 microM) indicating that vanadate does not induce differentiation and/or neurite extension by inhibiting ion channel Na,K-ATPase, which is one of its other well-characterised inhibitory activities. Evidence for the selective action of vanadate on some but not all neuronal cell lines comes from the fact that it did not induce neurite extension in the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-MC. These data imply that vanadate-induced neurite outgrowth responses in pheochromocytoma and SH-SY5Y cells can be induced by the inhibition of tyrosine phosphatases and appears not to simply mimic nerve growth factor signals. The target(s) of vanadate action in the two cell lines are currently being sought.
The binding of various forms of vanadate to myosin and myosin subfragment 1 (S-1) was studied by 51V NMR at increasing vanadate concentrations between 0.06 and 1.0 mM. The distribution of the various forms of vanadate in the solution depended on the total concentration of vanadate. At low concentrations, the predominant vanadate form was monomeric, while at high concentration, it was tetrameric. The presence of myosin or S-1 in the solution produced a significant broadening of the signal of each form of vanadate, indicating that all of them bind to the protein. Addition of ATP, which does not affect the 51V NMR spectra in the absence of proteins, causes their significant alteration in the presence of myosin or S-1. The changes, which include the broadening of the signal of the monomeric and the narrowing of the signal of the oligomeric vanadate forms, indicate that more monomeric and less oligomeric vanadate binds to the proteins in the presence than in the absence of ATP. Irradiation by near-UV light in the presence of vanadate cleaves S-1 at three specific sites--at 23, 31, and 74 kDa from the N-terminus. The cleavages at 23 and 31 kDa are specifically inhibited by the addition of ATP. The vanadate-associated photocleavage of S-1 also depends on the total concentration of vanadate; it is observed only when the concentration of vanadate is at least 0.2 mM. This was also the lowest concentration at which oligomeric vanadate was detected in the 51V NMR spectra. From the parallel concentration dependence of the photocleavage and the appearance of the tetrameric vanadate, it is concluded that photocleavage occurs only when tetrameric vanadate binds to S-1.
Sodium vanadate, a potent phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, was found to down-regulate the number of cell surface receptors in primary cultured adipocytes (50% receptor loss by 24 h; 65% loss by 48 h; ED50, 17 and 9 microM, respectively). The characteristics of vanadate-induced down-regulation were distinguished by three salient features. First, time-course studies revealed a lag period of 4-6 h preceding vanadate-induced receptor loss. This lag period was not due to slow diffusion of vanadate into the cell, since it could not be shortened using a very high dose of vanadate (1 mM). Second, vanadate was found to trigger receptor loss, such that down-regulation continued after vanadate removal. Thus, no immediate down-regulation was observed in adipocytes exposed to 80 microM vanadate for 6 h. However, when cells were washed and reincubated in vanadate-free medium for an additional 18 h (24 h total), a 50% receptor loss was seen. Lastly, we found that vanadate-induced down-regulation was not readily reversible, since receptor recovery was not observed when 24-h down-regulated cells were reincubated in vanadate-free medium for an additional 24 h. These three features of vanadate-induced receptor loss are remarkably similar to the characteristics of insulin-induced down-regulation. In studies examining the relationship between protein synthesis and vanadate-induced down-regulation, we found that vanadate markedly stimulated the overall rate of protein synthesis in 24-h treated adipocytes (a 42% increase; ED50, 3 microM), and that cycloheximide treatment markedly blunted vanadate-induced loss of cell surface receptors. Overall, these studies are consistent with the hypothesis that tyrosine phosphorylation plays a role in regulating the number of cell surface insulin receptors.
Vanadate has been shown to have a number of insulin-like effects in various cells, including isolated rat adipocytes. In the present study we compared the activities of vanadate and insulin in isolated fat cells using a number of different assays of insulin-like activity. Both insulin and vanadate stimulated [2-3H]glucose incorporation into fat cell lipid in a dose-dependent manner, but the maximal effect of vanadate was markedly greater than that of insulin. At 10(-2) M vanadate the effect was 3-4 times as great as the maximal effect of insulin. This effect was dependent on specific glucose transport. Combinations of insulin and vanadate were not more effective than vanadate alone. Vanadate also produced antilipolysis with an effect somewhat greater than that of insulin. Using [U-14C]glucose both vanadate and insulin stimulated 14CO2 production and [14C]glucose incorporation into lipid, and again the effect of vanadate was greater than that of insulin. Vanadate had a greater effect on 14CO2 production than on [14C]glucose incorporation into lipid. When [1-14C]glucose was used vanadate again had a significantly greater effect on 14CO2 production than did insulin, but when [6-14C]glucose was used the effects of vanadate and insulin were equal. These results demonstrate that vanadate has insulin-like effects in isolated fat cells, but it selectively stimulates certain pathways to a greater extent than does insulin. The greater effect of vanadate than insulin appears to be primarily on the pentose phosphate shunt, suggesting that this agent may be useful for examination of this intracellular pathway in fat cells.
Insulin is able to down-regulate its specific cell surface receptor in cultured human lymphocytes. The effect of vanadate, a known insulinomimetic agent, was examined to determine whether it could mimic insulin to down-regulate the insulin receptor. Exposure of cultured human lymphocytes (IM-9) to vanadate (0-200 microM) resulted in a time- and dose-dependent decrease in cell surface insulin receptors to 60% of control, while insulin (100 nM) down-regulated to 40%. The vanadate effect, in contrast to the rapid effect of insulin, was slow to develop (4-6 h). Surface receptor recovery after 18 h exposure was rapid after vanadate removal (20 min), but it required hours after insulin suggesting the presence of an intracellular (cryptic) pool of receptors after vanadate treatment. Insulin binding to Triton X-100-solubilized whole cells after 18 h treatment revealed that total cell receptors had decreased to 50% of control after insulin but increased to 120 and 189% of control after 100 and 200 microM vanadate, respectively. Furthermore, vanadate inhibited the insulin-mediated loss of total cell receptors from 50 to 28%. Removal of cell surface receptors by trypsin before cell solubilization revealed that 100 microM vanadate increased insulin binding to 321% of control indicating an accumulation of intracellular receptors. Labeling of cell surface proteins with Na125I and lactoperoxidase followed by immunoprecipitation of solubilized receptors with anti-receptor antibody after incubation for various times up to 20 h and quantitation by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that, while insulin shortened t1/2 from 7.3 to 5.3 h, vanadate prolonged receptor t1/2 to 14 h. No effect of vanadate was detected on insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity with up to 4 h incubation at the vanadate concentrations used in this study. Furthermore, human growth hormone surface receptors were similarly down-regulated by vanadate. We conclude that 1) vanadate has an apparent insulin-like effect to down-regulate cell surface insulin receptors in cultured human lymphocytes; 2) in contrast to insulin-induced down-regulation which is associated with receptor degradation vanadate causes an accumulation of intracellular (cryptic) receptors and inhibits insulin receptor degradation; and 3) these effects of vanadate may be exerted on other cell surface receptors.
The state of the Na+- and K+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase ((Na,K)-ATPase) which binds vanadate was investigated by taking advantage of the slow rate of vanadate release (koff = 0.32/h at 25 degrees C and 0.045/h at 4 degrees C). Vanadate release from the enzyme could be accelerated approximately 2-fold by addition of K+ and 50-fold by addition of Na+. The K+ effect saturated hyperbolically with a K1/2 of 0.5 mM, while the Na+ effect had a sigmoidal activation curve and K1/2 of 250 mM. These results indicate that either Na+ or K+ can equilibrate with the vanadate-"trapped" enzyme prior to vanadate release. In the presence of vanadate, a saturable Mn2+ binding site could be detected with a dissociation constant of 120 nM. When 54Mn2+ was added during incubation of the enzyme with vanadate, 1 mol of 54Mn2+ could be trapped/mol of vanadate trapped and the two metals dissociated in parallel. This result indicates a single divalent cation site is involved in stabilizing vanadate (and probably phosphate) binding. Addition of 1 to 4 mM of ATP to the vanadate-trapped enzyme had no affect on the rate of vanadate release. Also, the high affinity ATP site could not be detected in equilibrium-binding studies with the vanadate-trapped enzyme. Since kinetic experiments indicate that vanadate binding is competitive with the low affinity ATP site (Cantley, L. C., Jr., Cantley, L. G., and Josephson, L. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 7361--7368) and the high affinity ATP site is absent on vanadate-trapped enzyme, it appears unlikely that ATP can occupy either a high or low affinity site on the vanadate-trapped enzyme. We show that nonlinear Lineweaver-Burk plots for ATP hydrolysis can be explained by a single hydrolysis site which exhibits a low affinity for ATP prior to the rate-limiting E2 to E1 conformational change, but a high affinity for ATP following the conformational change.
The effect of oral administration of vanadate, in normalizing blood glucose levels of streptozotocin-treated rats (ST-rats), is further characterized and its mode of action is determined. We have examined the effects of two orally administered doses of sodium metavanadate. High concentrations of orally administered vanadate (0.8 mg/ml in drinking water) reduced blood glucose levels within 2-4 days of application and led to the appearance of hypoglycemia in test animals. Lower concentrations of vanadate (0.2 mg/ml in drinking water) also lowered blood glucose levels within 4 days, but did not lead to hypoglycemia for at least 3 weeks. These effects of vanadate were found to be reversible; hyperglycemia recurred within 2 days after removal of vanadate from the drinking water. In streptozotocin-treated rats receiving low vanadate treatment, circulating levels of vanadate were about 0.8 microgram/ml after 3 weeks of treatment. These rats became anabolic, while rats receiving high vanadate treatment remained catabolic. Subsequent to vanadate treatment, adipocytes derived from ST-rats responded to lower insulin concentrations. In addition, vanadate treatment lowered the increased insulin binding capacity of liver plasma membranes derived from ST-rats. Insulin binding capacity under these conditions approached that of control non-ST-rats. Basal rates of hexose uptake in muscle and liver tissues were doubled in vanadate-treated ST-rats. It is concluded that the oral administration of vanadate leads to normoglycemia by stimulating glucose uptake. Treatment with "low vanadate" leads to the formation of a stable anabolic and normoglycemic state in ST-rats and appears to restore insulin responsiveness of target tissues, without apparent signs of toxicity. Vanadate treatment did not impair either kidney or liver function, as assayed by the measurement of serum urea, creatinine, and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase.
Transition metal oxyanions, such as molybdate, tungstate and vandadate, have been shown to prevent in vitro hormone-induced activation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) by blocking dissociation of the GR/heat shock protein heterocomplex. In this work, we report a novel effect of vanadate: in vivo potentiation of GR-mediated gene expression. In cells stably-transfected with complex (mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)) or minimal GR-regulated CAT reporters, treatment with 500muM vanadate caused CAT gene expression to dramatically increase, even at saturating concentrations of dexamethasone; while no such effect was seen in response to RU486 antagonist. Similar treatment with molybdate had no effect on GR activity, suggesting that the response to vanadate was not a general property of transition metal oxyanions. Treatment with vanadate after hormone-induced nuclear translocation of the GR also caused potentiation, demonstrating that vanadate was acting on a post-transformation event, perhaps by affecting the transactivation function of DNA-bound GR. Paradoxically, vanadate caused an apparent but temporary "loss" of GR protein immediately after treatment (as measured by loss of reactivity to BuGR2 antibody and of hormone-binding capacity) that returned to normal at approximately 8h post-treatment, suggesting that potentiation of GR transactivation function (as measured by our CAT assays) was probably occurring during the later stages (8-24h) of this assay. However, gel shift analyses revealed that vanadate could induce binding of the hormone-free GR to glucocorticoid response element (GRE)-containing oligonucleotides immediately after treatment. Thus, the rapid vanadate-induced "loss" of GR was not due to degradation of GR protein. Yet, vanadate in the absence of hormone had no effect on CAT reporter expression, demonstrating that this form of the GR still requires agonist for its enhanced transcriptional activity. As an indication of the potential mechanism of vanadate action, vanadate was found to dramatically stimulate the mitogen-activated protein kinases, ERK-1 and ERK-2. In addition, vanadate potentiation of GR reporter gene expression was completely blocked by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A. Taken as a whole, our results suggest that vanadate can have dramatic and complex effects on GR structure and function, resulting in hormone-free activation of GR DNA-binding function, as well as alterations to the BuGR2 epitope and hormone-binding domains--while at the same time stimulating tyrosine phosphorylation pathways controlling GR-mediated gene transcription.