Diversity of peptidic and proteinaceous toxins from social Hymenoptera venoms

Abstract

Among venomous animals, Hymenoptera have been suggested as a rich source of natural toxins. Due to their broad ecological diversity, venom from Hymenoptera insects (bees, wasps and ants) have evolved differentially thus widening the types and biological functions of their components. To date, insect toxinology analysis have scarcely uncovered the complex composition of bee, wasp and ant venoms which include low molecular weight compounds, highly abundant peptides and proteins, including several allergens. In Hymenoptera, these complex mixtures of toxins represent a potent arsenal of biological weapons that are used for self-defense, to repel intruders and to capture prey. Consequently, Hymenoptera venom components have a broad range of pharmacological targets and have been extensively studied, as promising sources of new drugs and biopesticides. In addition, the identification and molecular characterization of Hymenoptera venom allergens have allowed for the rational design of component-resolved diagnosis of allergy, finally improving the outcome of venom immunotherapy (VIT). Until recently, a limited number of Hymenoptera venoms had been unveiled due to the technical limitations of the approaches used to date. Nevertheless, the application of novel techniques with high dynamic range has significantly increased the number of identified peptidic and proteinaceous toxins. Considering this, the present review summarizes the current knowledge about the most representative Hymenoptera venom peptides and proteins which are under study for a better understanding of the insect-caused envenoming process and the development of new drugs and biopesticides.

Entomo-venomics: The evolution, biology and biochemistry of insect venoms

“…Compared with venoms from other insect groups, venoms of the Hymenoptera have been the subject of extensive study. Here, we provide a general overview and refer the reader to other works for more detailed information (Piek, 1986;Aili et al, 2014;Moreau and Asgari, 2015;Konno et al, 2016;Lee et al, 2016;Touchard et al, 2016a;dos Santos-Pinto et al, 2018). Venom use arose in Hymenoptera associated with parasitic oviposition.…”

Cross-Reactive Carbohydrate Determinant in Apis mellifera, Solenopsis invicta and Polybia paulista Venoms: Identification of Allergic Sensitization and Cross-Reactivity

“…Firstly, we demonstrated that the Hymenoptera venom extracts, used as the antigenic source in the immunoblot procedures, present the major allergens typically found in their respective species [ 20 ]. Seven proteins were found with relevant reactivity to the patient’s sera: Hyaluronidase (45 kDa), PLA2 (16 kDa), Api m6 (8 kDa) in Apis mellifera venom extract, PLA1 (34 kDa) and Ag 5 (23 kDa) in Polybia paulista venom, and PLA1B (35 kDa) and Ag 5 (24 kDa) in Solenopsis invicta venom ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…Advances in the analysis of hymenopteran venoms proteins showed that some allergens, such as the Hyaluronidase [ 17 ] and phospholipase A2 from Apis mellifera [ 18 ] and phospholipase A1 from Solenopsis invicta [ 19 ], present CCDs in their structure. It is also known that Polybia paulista allergenic proteins, phospholipase A1 and antigen 5 are glycosylated proteins, so they do not have CCD epitopes, such as antigen 5 from Solenopsis invicta [ 20 , 21 ].…”

Heterodimeric insecticidal peptide provides new insights into the molecular and functional diversity of ant venoms

“…Many of their members, including ants, bees and wasps, use venom for predation, defence and communication. These venoms seem to be highly heterogeneous and structurally complex, with a wide range of bioactive constituents being reported including sugars, formic acid, biogenic amines, polyamines, alkaloids, and peptides [4,5]. Considering this immense chemical diversity and the high species richness of this order, hymenopterans can be considered a vast, yet understudied resource for the discovery of new biochemicals that complements venom from other, better studied species such as spiders, scorpions, snakes and cone snails.…”

“…Considering this immense chemical diversity and the high species richness of this order, hymenopterans can be considered a vast, yet understudied resource for the discovery of new biochemicals that complements venom from other, better studied species such as spiders, scorpions, snakes and cone snails. A systematic analysis of the chemical and structural diversity within hymenopteran venoms does not exist [4,5]. However, the high diversity of ant species with diverse ecology and evolutionary history predicts enormous potential for the discovery of bioactive peptides with novel structural scaffolds and pharmacology with applications in medicine and agriculture [6,7].…”