title: Biological and Enzymatic Characterization of Proteases from Crude Venom of the Ant Odontomachus bauri.
abstract: Hymenoptera venoms constitute an interesting source of natural toxins that may lead to the development of novel therapeutic agents. The present study investigated the enzymatic and biological characteristics of the crude venom of the ant Odontomachus bauri. Its crude venom presents several protein bands, with higher staining for six proteins with gelatinolytic activity (17, 20, 26, 29, 43 and 48 kDa). The crude venom showed high proteolytic activity on azocasein at optimal pH 8.0 and 37 °C. In the presence of protease inhibitors as aprotinin, leupeptin and EDTA, the azocaseinolytic activity was reduced by 45%, 29% and 9%, respectively, suggesting that the enzymes present in the crude venom belong to the three classes of proteases, with the serine proteases in greater intensity. The crude venom degraded the fibrinogen α-chain faster than the β-chain, while the fibrinogen γ-chain remained unchanged. In biological assays, O. bauri venom showed hemolytic and coagulant activity in vitro, and defibrinating activity in vivo. In addition, the venom showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as well as antiparasitic activity on Toxoplasma gondii infection in vitro. In that sense, this study sheds perspectives for pharmacological applications of O. bauri venom enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology "Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo", Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. marianaa_fs@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariana Ferreira
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology "Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo", Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. carolinemartinsm@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Caroline Martins
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology "Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo", Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. vanessa.smiranda@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Vanessa dos Santos
authors.initials: Vdos S
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology "Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo", Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. amanda.olicunha@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Amanda de Oliveira
authors.initials: Ade O
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology "Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo", Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. maraisa2003@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Maraísa Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. kscnaves@icbim.ufu.br.
authors.forename: Karinne Spirandelli Carvalho
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Naves
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Biophysics, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. foliveira@umuarama.ufu.br.|National Institute in Science and Technology in Nanobiopharmaceutics (NanoBiofar), Belo Horizonte-MG 31270-901, Brazil. foliveira@umuarama.ufu.br.
authors.forename: Fábio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology "Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo", Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. daosilva@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Deise Aparecida de Oliveira
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology "Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo", Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. tiagomineo@icbim.ufu.br.
authors.forename: Tiago Wilson Patriarca
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Mineo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology "Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo", Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil. fmsantiago@icbim.ufu.br.
authors.forename: Fernanda Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Santiago
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000862:Ant Venoms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000633:toxicity; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D001000:Ants; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003029:Coagulants / Q000633:toxicity; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000862:Ant Venoms; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D003029:Coagulants; D019476:Insect Proteins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases
keywords: Odontomachus bauri; Toxoplasma gondii; crude venom; proteases