Shedding Lights on Crude Venom from Solitary Foraging Predatory Ant Ectatomma opaciventre: Initial Toxinological Investigation

Abstract

Some species of primitive predatory ants, despite living in a colony, exercise their hunting collection strategy individually; their venom is painful, paralyzing, digestive, and lethal for their prey, yet the toxins responsible for these effects are poorly known. Ectatomma opaciventre is a previously unrecorded solitary hunting ant from the Brazilian Cerrado. To overcome this hindrance, the present study performed the in vitro enzymatic, biochemical, and biological activities of E. opaciventre to better understand the properties of this venom. Its venom showed several proteins with masses ranging from 1–116 kDa, highlighting the complexity of this venom. Compounds with high enzymatic activity were described, elucidating different enzyme classes present in the venom, with the presence of the first L-amino acid oxidase in Hymenoptera venoms being reported. Its crude venom contributes to a state of blood incoagulability, acting on primary hemostasis, inhibiting collagen-induced platelet aggregation, and operating on the fibrinolysis of loose red clots. Furthermore, the E. opaciventre venom preferentially induced cytotoxic effects on lung cancer cell lines and three different species of Leishmania. These data shed a comprehensive portrait of enzymatic components, biochemical and biological effects in vitro, opening perspectives for bio-pharmacological application of E. opaciventre venom molecules.

Exploring the Venom of Ectatomma brunneum Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

“…In ants the venom is used for colony defense, social communication and protection against pathogens (Orivel et al 2001, Aili et al 2014, Baracchi and Tragust 2017, Tragust et al 2020. Furthermore, in ants whose foraging behavior is solitary, they possess a powerful venom in order to incapacitate their victims (Pie 2004, Kolay et al 2020, Correia et al 2022).…”

Toxinologic and Pharmacological Investigation of Venomous Arthropods

“…Considering the investigation and characterization of components from crude venom of solitary hymenopterans, an article written by Correia et al [24] reports the initial toxinologic study of the crude venom from the solitary foraging predatory ant Ectatomma opaciventre. This predatory ant species is endemic to the Brazilian Cerrado.…”