AI Article Synopsis
- Researchers studied the venom of the European red ant using transcriptomic and proteomic techniques, identifying 13 new "myrmicitoxins" related to known ant venom peptides, including a modified EGF-like toxin.
- They tested the insecticidal properties of these toxins on blowflies and found six with significant activity, some of which caused paralysis at certain doses.
- The most effective peptide, U-MYRTX-Mri1a, showed strong neurotoxic effects initially, but these effects were reversible after 24 hours, and no insecticidal activity was observed at higher doses.
Article Abstract
Using an integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach, we characterized the venom peptidome of the European red ant, . We identified 13 "myrmicitoxins" that share sequence similarities with previously identified ant venom peptides, one of them being identified as an EGF-like toxin likely resulting from a threonine residue modified by fucosylation. Furthermore, we conducted insecticidal assays of reversed-phase HPLC venom fractions on the blowfly , permitting us to identify six myrmicitoxins (i.e., U-, U-, U-, U-MYRTX-Mri1a, U-MYRTX-Mri1b, and U-MYRTX-Mri1c) with an insecticidal activity. Chemically synthesized U-MYRTX-Mri1a, -Mri1b, -Mri1c, and U-MYRTX-Mri1a irreversibly paralyzed blowflies at the highest doses tested (30-125 nmol·g). U-MYRTX-Mri1a, the most potent neurotoxic peptide at 1 h, had reversible effects after 24 h (150 nmol·g). Finally, U-MYRTX-Mri1a has no insecticidal activity, even at up to 55 nmol·g. Thus, employs a paralytic venom rich in linear insecticidal peptides, which likely act by disrupting cell membranes.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00048 | DOI Listing |
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