Identification of a novel melittin isoform from Africanized Apis mellifera venom

Autor(es)

Sciani, Juliana Mozer ^[1] ; Marques-Porto, Rafael ^[1] ; Lourenco Junior, Airton ^[2] ; Orsi, Ricardo de Oliveira ^[3] ; Ferreira Junior, Rui Seabra ^{[2, 4]} ; Barraviera, Benedito ^{[2, 4]} ; Pimenta, Daniel Carvalho ^{[1, 4]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Inst Butantan, Lab Bioquim & Biofis, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] UNESP, Fac Med, BR-18603970 Botucatu, SP - Brazil

^[3] Fac Med Vet & Zootecnia, BR-18618000 Botucatu, SP - Brazil

^[4] UNESP, Ctr Estudos Venenos & Anim Peconhentos, BR-18610307 Botucatu, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Peptides; v. 31, n. 8, p. 1473-1479, AUG 2010.
• Citações Web of Science: 18

Resumo

Apis mellifera, the European honey bee, is perhaps the most studied insect in the Apidae family. Its venom is comprised basically of melittin, phospholipase A(2), histamine, hyaluronidase, cathecolamines and serotonin. Some of these components have been associated to allergic reactions, among several other symptoms. On the other hand, bee mass-stinging is increasingly becoming a serious public health issue; therefore, the development of efficient serum-therapies has become necessary, with a consequent better characterization of the venom. In this work, we report the isolation and biochemical characterization of melittin-S, an isoform of melittin comprising a Ser residue at the 10th position, from the venom of Africanized A. mellifera. This peptide demonstrated to be less hemolytic than melittin and to adopt a less organized secondary structure, as assessed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Melittin-S venom contents varied seasonally, and the maximum secretion occurred during the (southern) winter months. Data on the variation of the honey bee venom composition are necessary to guide future immunological studies, aiming for the development of an efficient anti-serum against Africanized A. mellifera venom and, consequently, an effective treatment for the victims of mass-stinging. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 07/05159-7 - Isolamento de serino-proteases coagulantes dos venenos de Bothrops neuwiedi pauloensis e Crotalus durissus terrificus: caracterização funcional e estrutural
• Beneficiário: Benedito Barraviera
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 07/02476-1 - Identificação e caracterização bioquímica de peptídeos e proteínas na secreção cutânea de Chaunus jimi (Bufonidae, Anura, Amphibia)
• Beneficiário: Daniel Carvalho Pimenta
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 07/08478-6 - Isolamento e caracterização bioquímica de peptídeos e proteínas de Echinometra lucunter monitorado por efeito biológico.
• Beneficiário: Juliana Mozer Sciani
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 06/55545-8 - Estudo comparativo do processo de imunização com veneno de abelhas africanizadas (Apis mellifera) total e irradiado com cobalto-60 incluindo o emprego da sílica nanoestruturada SBA-15 como adjuvante
• Beneficiário: Rui Seabra Ferreira Junior
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado