Novel Antimicrobial Peptides from the venoms of Solitary Eumenid Wasps 

KONNO, K.(1,3), SOUZA, B.M.(1,3), FONTANA, R.(1,3), HIRATA, I,Y.(2), JULIANO, M.A.(2,3), JULIANO, L.(2,3), PALMA, M.S.(1,3)

(1)CEIS, Department of Biology, IBRC, UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, (2)Department of Biophysics, EPM, UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, (3)CAT/CEPID, FAPESP, São Paulo, SP.

Solitary wasps are known to inject their venoms to insects or spiders and paralyze the preys to feed their larvae. Therefore, the solitary wasp venoms should contain neurotoxins acting on various nervous systems. In fact, we have isolated novel peptide neurotoxins, alpha- and beta -pompilidotoxins (PMTXs), from pompilid wasp venoms. Besides the neurotoxins, however, we have also found antimicrobial peptides, anoplin and eumenine mastoparan-AF (EMP-AF), in a pompilid and aneumenid wasp venoms, respectively. These peptides show broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and are structurally related to mastoparan, a mast cell degranulating peptide from a social wasp venom. Therefore, our recent studies indicated that the solitary wasp venom may be a new and rich source of bioactive peptides. A further survey of a variety of solitary wasp venoms demonstrated that antimicrobial peptides are widely distributed in eumenid wasp venoms. For example, decoralin was isolated from the venom of Oreumenes decoratus and showed inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria. This peptide is consisted of eleven amino acids, and the sequence is highly homologous to anoplin. Isolation, sequence determination, and biological properties of this and other antimicrobial peptides from eumenid wasp venoms will be reported. 

Supported by FAPESP

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

Katsuhiro Konno, Rua 12-B, 841, Rio Claro, SP, CEP: 13506-746, Brasil, Email: kk-gon@rc.unesp.br