Antibacterial activity of Rhynocoris marginatus (Fab.) and Catamirus brevipennis (Servile) (Hemiptera: reduviidae) venomS against human pathogens

Sahayaraj, K.; Borgio, J. Francis; Muthukumar, S.; Anandh, G. P.

doi:10.1590/s1678-91992006000300011

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Venom has been obtained from heteropterans by electrostimulation 5,6,7,8,11,12,13 , provocation of defensive responses 4,8 , mechanically squeezing the thorax 12,14,15,16 , dissecting out venom glands 8,17,18,19,20,21,22 , and application of agonists of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor 23 . Judging the potential advantages and disadvantages of any method is complicated by the morphology of heteropteran venom glands, which consist of a main gland with two separate lumens, the anterior main gland (AMG) and posterior main gland (PMG), as well as an associated accessory gland (AG).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects

Walker

Rosenthal

Undheim

et al. 2018

JoVE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Heteropteran insects such as assassin bugs (Reduviidae) and giant water bugs (Belostomatidae) descended from a common predaceous and venomous ancestor, and the majority of extant heteropterans retain this trophic strategy. Some heteropterans have transitioned to feeding on vertebrate blood (such as the kissing bugs, Triatominae; and bed bugs, Cimicidae) while others have reverted to feeding on plants (most Pentatomomorpha). However, with the exception of saliva used by kissing bugs to facilitate blood-feeding, little is known about heteropteran venoms compared to the venoms of spiders, scorpions and snakes. One obstacle to the characterization of heteropteran venom toxins is the structure and function of the venom/labial glands, which are both morphologically complex and perform multiple biological roles (defense, prey capture, and extra-oral digestion). In this article, we describe three methods we have successfully used to collect heteropteran venoms. First, we present electrostimulation as a convenient way to collect venom that is often lethal when injected into prey animals, and which obviates contamination by glandular tissue. Second, we show that gentle harassment of animals is sufficient to produce venom extrusion from the proboscis and/or venom spitting in some groups of heteropterans. Third, we describe methods to harvest venom toxins by dissection of anaesthetized animals to obtain the venom glands. This method is complementary to other methods, as it may allow harvesting of toxins from taxa in which electrostimulation and harassment are ineffective. These protocols will enable researchers to harvest toxins from heteropteran insects for structure-function characterization and possible applications in medicine and agriculture.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects

Walker

Rosenthal

Undheim

et al. 2018

JoVE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The venom apparatus of reduviids includes morphologically com-plex paired secretory glands within the thorax/abdomen, a muscle-driven pump within the head, and a devoted venom channel formed by interlocking maxillary stylets through which venom can be injected into the prey (16). Assassin bug venoms are paralytic and lethal to invertebrates and small vertebrates (19 -22), hyperalgesic to vertebrates (23), cytolytic (19,24), and antibacterial (25). Numerous enzymatic activities are present, including protease, phospholipase, and hyaluronidase (16,19,26).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Melt With This Kiss: Paralyzing and Liquefying Venom of The Assassin Bug Pristhesancus plagipennis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Walker

Madio

Jin

et al. 2017

Molecular & Cellular Proteomics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) are venomous insects, most of which prey on invertebrates. Assassin bug venom has features in common with venoms from other animals, such as paralyzing and lethal activity when injected, and a molecular composition that includes disulfide-rich peptide neurotoxins. Uniquely, this venom also has strong liquefying activity that has been hypothesized to facilitate feeding through the narrow channel of the proboscis-a structure inherited from sapand phloem-feeding phytophagous hemipterans and adapted during the evolution of Heteroptera into a fang and feeding structure. However, further understanding of the function of assassin bug venom is impeded by the lack of proteomic studies detailing its molecular composition.By using a combined transcriptomic/proteomic approach, we show that the venom proteome of the harpactorine assassin bug Pristhesancus plagipennis includes a complex suite of >100 proteins comprising disulfide-rich peptides, CUB domain proteins, cystatins, putative cytolytic toxins, triabin-like protein, odorant-binding protein, S1 proteases, catabolic enzymes, putative nutrient-binding proteins, plus eight families of proteins without homology to characterized proteins. S1 proteases, CUB domain proteins, putative cytolytic toxins, and other novel proteins in the 10 -16-kDa mass range, were the most abundant venom components. Thus, in addition to putative neurotoxins, assassin bug venom includes a high proportion of enzymatic and cytolytic venom components likely to be well suited to tissue liquefaction. Our results also provide insight into the trophic switch to blood-feeding by the kissing bugs (Reduviidae: Triatominae). Although some protein families such as triabins occur in the venoms of both predaceous and blood-feeding reduviids, the composition of venoms produced by these two groups is revealed to differ markedly. These results provide insights into the venom evolution in the insect suborder Heteroptera. Venoms are chemical arsenals injected by one animal into another to disrupt the homeostasis of the injected animal in ways that assist predation, defense, or feeding by the injecting animal (1). Typically, venoms are composed of multiple toxins, including peptides, enzymes, and small molecules, such as polyamines, that bind to and affect the function of multiple molecular targets in the injected animal. Because of their key role governing life-or-death interactions between animals, venom toxins are subject to selection pressures that have resulted in unique evolutionary patterns such as massive duplication and accelerated evolution of toxin-encoding genes (2-5). In addition, the properties that ensure that toxins confer a fitness advantage to the animals that produce them, including high stability and potency, make them well suited for use as insecticides, therapeutics, and pharmacological tools (6 -11). However, our understanding of the factors shaping venom evolution, and our ability to repurpose venom toxins for biotechnological use, is limited ...

show abstract

“…The saliva of Rhynocoris species triggers rapid hemolysis in its prey, thus suppressing initial defense mechanisms including hemocyte spreading and aggregation (Ayyachamy et al., 2016; Sahayaraj & Muthukumar, 2011). The venoms of Rhynocoris marginatus Fabricius and Catamirus brevipennis Servile suppress Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, with greater efficacy against the latter (Sahayaraj, Borgio, Muthukumar, & Anandh, 2006). P. rhadamanthus venom increases calcium influx in mouse dorsal root ganglion cells, probably by forming pores in cell membranes (Walker et al., 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Servile suppress Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with greater efficacy against the latter (Sahayaraj, Borgio, Muthukumar, & Anandh, 2006). P. rhadamanthus venom increases calcium influx in mouse dorsal root ganglion cells, probably by forming pores in cell membranes (Walker et al, 2019).…”

Section: Oms Of Rhynocoris Marginatus Fabricius and Catamirus Brevipementioning

confidence: 99%

Context‐dependent venom deployment and protein composition in two assassin bugs

Fischer

Wielsch

Heckel

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Heteroptera are a diverse suborder of phytophagous, hematophagous, and zoophagous insects. The shift to zoophagy can be traced back to the transformation of salivary glands into venom glands, but the venom is used not only to kill and digest invertebrate prey but also as a defense strategy, mainly against vertebrates. In this study, we used an integrated transcriptomics and proteomics approach to compare the composition of venoms from the anterior main gland (AMG) and posterior main gland (PMG) of the reduviid bugs Platymeris biguttatus L. and Psytalla horrida Stål. In both species, the AMG and PMG secreted distinct protein mixtures with few interspecific differences. PMG venom consisted mostly of S1 proteases, redulysins, Ptu1‐like peptides, and uncharacterized proteins, whereas AMG venom contained hemolysins and cystatins. There was a remarkable difference in biological activity between the AMG and PMG venoms, with only PMG venom conferring digestive, neurotoxic, hemolytic, antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects. Proteomic analysis of venom samples revealed the context‐dependent use of AMG and PMG venom. Although both species secreted PMG venom alone to overwhelm their prey and facilitate digestion, the deployment of defensive venom was species‐dependent. P. biguttatus almost exclusively used PMG venom for defense, whereas P. horrida secreted PMG venom in response to mild harassment but AMG venom in response to more intense harassment. This intriguing context‐dependent use of defensive venom indicates that future research should focus on species‐dependent differences in venom composition and defense strategies among predatory Heteroptera.

show abstract

Antibacterial activity of Rhynocoris marginatus (Fab.) and Catamirus brevipennis (Servile) (Hemiptera: reduviidae) venomS against human pathogens

Cited by 9 publications

References 19 publications

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects

Melt With This Kiss: Paralyzing and Liquefying Venom of The Assassin Bug Pristhesancus plagipennis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Context‐dependent venom deployment and protein composition in two assassin bugs

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About