First crystal structure of an adduct formed upon reaction of a vanadium compound with human serum transferrin.
Banneville, A.S., Lucignano, R., Paolillo, M., Cuomo, V., Chino, M., Ferraro, G., Picone, D., Garribba, E., Cornaciu-Hoffmann, I., Pica, A., Merlino, A.(2026) Commun Chem 
- PubMed: 41545537 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01891-1
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
9THO, 9THQ, 9THR - PubMed Abstract: 
The interaction of vanadium compounds of pharmaceutical interest with metal-transport proteins like human serum transferrin (hTF) is poorly understood. Direct structural evidence identifying vanadium binding sites on hTF is still lacking. Here, the X-ray structure of the adduct formed when the potential drug [V IV O(acac) 2 ], with acac = acetylacetonato, reacts with human serum transferrin with Fe 3+ bound at the C-lobe only (Fe C -hTF) has been solved and compared with new structures of Fe C -hTF used as controls. Structural analysis revealed the presence of a [V V 2 O 6 ] 2- anion that can be described as a divanadate(V) anion, [V V 2 O 7 ] 4- , that has one oxygen replaced by the phenolate oxygen of Tyr188. The two vanadium centers adopt tetrahedral geometry, consistent with V V behavior. The binding does not alter the overall conformation of Fe C -hTF that retains the open conformation of the N-lobe and the closed conformation of the C-lobe, remaining able to be recognized by the transferrin receptor.
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