Hymenoptera Venom Proteins

Peptidomic comparison and characterization of the major components of the venom of the giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps collected in four different areas of Brazil

“…Epitomized by bees, wasps and ants, this group of insects uses a modified ovipositor (located at the terminal region of the abdomen) as a tubular stinger to inject the venom directly into the victim's body [2,3]. Human envenomation caused by these social insects, generally results in pain, local inflammation, itching, irritation and serious allergic reactions, which are trigged by a structurally diverse mix of compounds [3,4]. Within Hymenoptera venoms, the venom from bees is the most extensively characterized followed by that from social wasps [5].…”

Antioxidant Bioactivity of Samsum Ant (Pachycondyla sennaarensis) Venom Protects against CCL4-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Mice

“…Samsum ant is responsible for cases of anaphylaxis across the globe [5]. Human envenomation caused by these social insects generally results in pain, local inflammation, itching, and irritation, but sometimes leads to serious allergic reactions, which are trigged by a structurally diverse mix of compounds [6, 7]. …”

Beyond the antipredatory defence: Honey bee venom function as a component of social immunity

“…The application of venom on the body surface as a way of protection against pathogens has been suggested for the ants Solenopsis invicta (Obin and Vander Meer, 1985) and Pachycondila goeldii (Orivel et al, 2001), for the paper wasp Polistes dominulus and for the honey bee Apis mellifera (Baracchi and Turillazzi, 2010). Honey bee venom is composed of a wide spectrum of molecules, ranging from biogenic amines to peptides and proteins, the structure and function of which have been determined in great part (Kreil, 1973;Hoffman, 1996). Three peptides are the major compounds of the venom fraction ranging from 1000 to 4000 Da.…”