title: Molecular components and toxicity of the venom of the solitary wasp, Anoplius samariensis.
abstract: The solitary spider wasp, Anoplius samariensis, is known to exhibit a unique long-term, non-lethal paralysis in spiders that it uses as a food source for its larvae. However, neither detailed venom components nor paralytic compounds have ever been characterized. In this study, we examined the components in the low molecular weight fraction of the venom and the paralytic activity of the high molecular weight fraction. The major low molecular weight components of the venom were identified as gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamic acid by micro-liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry analysis. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and mass analysis revealed that the A. samariensis venom contained the various proteins with weights of 4-100 kDa. A biological assay using Joro spiders (Nephila clavata) clearly showed that the high molecular weight fraction of the venom prepared by ultrafiltration exerted as potent non-lethal long-term paralysis as the whole venom, whereas the low molecular weight fraction was devoid of any paralytic activity. These results indicated that several venomous proteins in the high molecular weight fraction are responsible for the paralytic activity. Furthermore, we determined the primary structure of one component designated As-fr-19, which was a novel multiple-cysteine peptide with high sequence similarity to several sea anemone and snake toxins including dendrotoxins, rather than any insect toxic peptides identified so far. Taken together, our data showed the unprecedented molecular and toxicological profiles of wasp venoms.
authors.affiliation: Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, Osaka 618-8503, Japan. hisada@sunbor.or.jp
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hisada
authors.forename: Honoo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satake
authors.forename: Katsuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoyama
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Testuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinada
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwashita
authors.forename: Yasufumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohfune
authors.forename: Terumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D020387:Food Chain; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013112:Spiders / Q000187:drug effects; D014862:Wasp Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D014863:Wasps / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C501657:As-fr-19 peptide, Anoplius samariensis; D019476:Insect Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D014862:Wasp Venoms; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid