title: Vanadium biochemistry: the unknown role of vanadium-containing cells in ascidians (sea squirts).
abstract: This article reviews several new developments in vanadium biochemistry, as elucidated from studies of ascidians. A hypothesis correlating ascidian blood cell function to anaerobiosis, via two prominent redox constituents, namely vanadium(III) and the tunichromes, a family of metal ion complexing/reducing hydroquinonoid peptides, is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008954:Models, Biological; D051381:Rats; D014561:Urochordata / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014639:Vanadium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014639:Vanadium