Structural and functional characterization of two novel peptide toxins isolated from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista

• Published in: Peptides (New York, N.Y. : 1980) N.Y. : 1980), 2005-11, Vol.26 (11), p.2157-2164
• Main Authors: Souza, Bibiana M., Mendes, Maria A., Santos, Lucilene D., Marques, Maurício R., César, Lilian M.M., Almeida, Roberta N.A., Pagnocca, Fernando C., Konno, Katsuhiro, Palma, Mario S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - toxicity; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Degranulation - drug effects; Cell Degranulation - physiology; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell Movement - physiology; Cells, Cultured; Chemotactic peptides; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gram-Positive Bacteria - drug effects; Hemolysis - drug effects; Hemolysis - physiology; Hymenoptera insect; Leukocytes - cytology; Leukocytes - physiology; Mast Cells - cytology; Mast Cells - physiology; Mastoparans; Peptides - chemistry; Peptides - toxicity; Polybia paulista; Polycationic peptide; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Wasp venom; Wasp Venoms - chemistry; Wasp Venoms - toxicity; Wasps - chemistry
• ISSN: 0196-9781; 1873-5169
• DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2005.04.026

Two novel inflammatory peptides were isolated from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista. They had their molecular masses determined by ESI-MS and their primary sequences were elucidated by Edman degradation chemistry as: • Polybia-MPI: I D W K K L L D A A K Q I L-NH 2 (1654.09 Da), • Polybia-CP: I L G T I L G L L K S L-NH 2 (1239.73 Da). Both peptides were functionally characterized by using Wistar rat cells. Polybia-MPI is a mast cell lytic peptide, which causes no hemolysis to rat erythrocytes and presents chemotaxis for polymorphonucleated leukocytes (PMNL) and with potent antimicrobial action both against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Polybia-CP was characterized as a chemotactic peptide for PMNL cells, presenting antimicrobial action against Gram-positive bacteria, but causing no hemolysis to rat erythrocytes and no mast cell degranulation activity at physiological concentrations.