Pharmacological characterization and chemical fractionation of the venom of the ponerine ant, Paraponera clavata (F.).
1. The neurotoxic action of the venom of the ponerine ant, Paraponera clavata, was studied using a cascade of mammalian smooth muscle preparations and a preparation for investigating transmission from fibres of the cercal nerve to a giant interneuron in the sixth abdominal ganglion of the cockroach. 2. The venom contains three toxic fractions that block synaptic transmission in the insect central nervous system. 3. Two of these fractions have agonistic action on mammalian smooth muscle preparations. 4. One of the later fractions was characterized pharmacologically as containing a kinin. 5. The other, and most active neurotoxic fraction, was rechromatographed, resulting in the purification of a peptide of 25 amino acids residues, called poneratoxin, PoTX: Phe-Leu-Pro-Leu-Leu-Ile-Leu-Gly-Ser-Leu-Leu-Met-Thr-Pro-Pro-Val-Ile-Gln- Ala-Ile-His-Asp-Ala-Gln-Arg-HN2.
Department of Pharmacology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Piek
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Mantel
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Nakajima
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Schmidt
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000862:Ant Venoms / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007705:Kinins / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000032:analysis; D010526:Periplaneta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
D000862:Ant Venoms; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007705:Kinins; D009498:Neurotoxins; C072588:poneratoxin