Analytical and EPR spectral measurements have been carried out to quantify the nature of sulfate, vanadium, and acidity in the vanadocytes of Ascidia ceratodes. Atomic emission spectroscopic data show that average per cell concentrations of vanadium and sulfur are 0.099 and 0.25 M, respectively. In the cell lysate from 0.85 mL of packed cells, 123.91 pmol of sulfur was found of which only 78.41 pmol precipitated with BaCI,. X-ray fluorescence examination of the BaSO, precipitate showed no evidence of a vanadate contaminant. Extrapolation of vanadium and sulfate quantities to vanadophores yields endogenous concentrations of 1.4 and 1.3 M, respectively. Analytical data for Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu, and P are also reported. EPR spectroscopic examination of whole-cell preparations showed the presence of vanadyl ion, which was quantitated by spectral integration to 13 and 36 mM, respectively, within the vanadophoric cell constituents from two independent collections of animals. The magnetism exhibited by vanirdyl ion within healthy, intact vanadocytes in room-temperature EPR spectra (A, = 1.074 X cm-l, go = 1.968) and frozen-solution spectra (A,l = 1.814 X c d , gl, = 1.935) is shown by comparison with standards to be consistent only with the presence of the free aquo ion. Sources of EPR spectral broadening observed in the vanadocyte frozen-solution spectra ((-7/2)1, line width = 34.0 and 24.3 G in the two collections of animals relative to 12.5 G from 1 mM VOSO, in 100 mM H2S04) were investigated by studying the effect on vanadyl EPR line width of acidity (as H2S04), viscosity, SO:concentration, and high concentrations of the paramagnetic ions VOz+, Coz+, and V3+. Broadening is shown to derive from at least two dimeric vanadyl species, the formation of one of which is enhanced by sulfate but inhibited by chloride or perchlorate. In solutions containing sulfuric acid, the aquovanadyl ion EPR line width is shown to be closely correlated with [H+] over the range 500 mM 2 [H2S04] 1 1 mM. In the presence of 0.5 M v,(sop)3 in 15 mM H2S04, the 31-G V02+ EPR line width was found to accurately reflect the measured pH of 1.9. This line width/pH correlation, exploited to ascertain the internal vanadophoric pH in A. ceratodes vanadocytes, yielded a pH of 1.8 f 0.1. This pH is sufficiently low to prevent hydrolysis of endogenous V(H20)63+ or its autoxidation (E,,,(V3+/V02+) = 283 mV at pH 1.8). The most likely status for V(II1) in vanadocytes at low pH and high [SO:-], keeping in mind previous EXAFS and 'H N M R results, is as the V(S04)(H20)4-5+ complex ion. Finally, a new hypothesis for the utility of V(II1) to tunicates is advanced. Goodbody, I. (26) Tullius, T. D.; Carlson, R. M. K.; Gillum, W. 0.; Frank, P.; Hodgson, K. O., unpublished results.
Contribution from theThe decomposition of a-bonded (pyridylmethy1)chromium complexes, 2-and 3-NCSH4CH,CrL, (L = dap (1,3-diaminopropane), dien (diethylenetriamine), trien (triethylenetetramine), and [ 1 5]aneN4 (tetraazacyclopentadecane)), was investigated in aqueous perchloric acid under ae...