Isolation and molecular cloning of venom peptides from Orancistrocerus drewseni (Hymenoptera: Eumenidae).
Three venom peptides (OdVP1, OdVP2 and OdVP3) were isolated from the venom of the solitary wasp Orancistrocerus drewseni (Hymenoptera: Eumenidae). The mature venom peptide sequences were determined via ESI-Q-TOF MS/MS and by searching the O. drewseni venom gland/sac-specific EST library. All of the OdVPs shared the typical characteristics of amidated C-termini proteins and contained a high content of hydrophobic and positively charged amino acids, suggesting that they adopt an amphipathic alpha-helical secondary structure, as is the case for mastoparan from Vespula lewisii. The cDNA sequence of the OdVP1 precursor was obtained by 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), and the OdVP2 and OdVP3 precursor transcripts were identified from the venom gland/sac-specific EST library. While the mature peptide sequences were distinct from one another, the overall transcript structure of the OdVPs showed a high homology to that of mastoparan-B from Vespa basalis in that they contained a signal sequence, a prosequence, a mature peptide and a C-terminal glycine. The OdVPs, particularly OdVP2 and OdVP2L (an analog of OdVP2), exhibited strong antifungal activities, but poor antibacterial activities. OdVP2L, which possessed additional Glu-Pro residues, did not have antimicrobial activity against bacteria or Gram-positive yeast but retained activity against Botrytis cinerea.
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Sillim 9-Dong, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul 151-921, Republic of Korea.
Ji Hyeong
JH
Baek
Si Hyeock
SH
Lee
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014688:Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010455:Peptides; D014688:Venoms