The Chromatographic Behaviour of Wasp Venom Kinin, Kallidin and Bradykinin

Abstract

Wasp venom kinin which has hitherto appeared to be homogeneous can be resolved by ion‐exchange chromatography into a single major and two minor components. These are indistinguishable by their action on smooth muscle and by their rapid inactivation by chymotrypsin. All three components of wasp kinin are chromatographically different from kallidin or bradykinin. The close similarity of the latter compounds is confirmed by their identical behaviour on an ion‐exchange resin.

Kinins in Nature

“…(1966) showed that the combined extracts of venom sacs of the American wasps, Polistes annularis Linnaeus, P.fuscatus Lepeletier, and P. exclamans Viereck, also contained three kin ins as had been observed earlier in Vespa vulgaris (MATHIAS and SCHACHTER, 1958). The total kinin activity per wasp produced a response equivalent to 1.5 ~g bradykinin in the rat uterus assay.…”

“…SCHACHTER and THAIN (1954) further characterized the substance and named it wasp kinin. Later studies (MATHIAS and SCHACHTER, 1958) revealed the presence of three peptides with characteristic kinin-like activities on guinea pig ileum and rat uterus. Extracts of the venom sacs of the hornet, Vespa crabro, contained a single kinin which resembled bradykinin in all tests except that it was about 10% as active on the guinea pig ileum (BHOOLA et a!., 1961).…”

Composition and Mode of Action of Some Invertebrate Venoms

“…It also increases capillary permeability, produces a cutaneous flare reaction, and causes pain when placed on a blister area (47). It appears that more than one such pep tide may be present in the venom of V. vulgaris (48).…”

Characterization of Kinins in Wasp Venom

“…Wasp and hornet venoms are in interesting contrast to the mammalian system in that they contain free kinins which act immediately upon injection (Jacques and Schachter and Thain, 1954;Holdstock et al, 1957;Mathias and Schachter, 1958;and Bhoola etal., 1961). In Vespa vulgaris a single major and two minor components were resolved on columns of Amberlite (XE-64).…”

“…All three kinin activities were completely destroyed by chymotrypsin and greatly reduced by trypsin. Bradykinin and kallidin are not inactivated by trypsin and could be distinguished chromatographically from the wasp kinins (Mathias and Schachter, 1958). Hornet venom contains a single, different kinin which is not inactivated by trypsin (Bhoola et al, 1961).…”