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- Title
Biological and Enzymatic Characterization of Proteases from Crude Venom of the Ant Odontomachus bauri.
- Authors
Ferreira Silva, Mariana; Mota, Caroline Martins; dos Santos Miranda, Vanessa; de Oliveira Cunha, Amanda; Silva, Maraísa Cristina; Carvalho Naves, Karinne Spirandelli; de Oliveira, Fábio; de Oliveira Silva, Deise Aparecida; Patriarca Mineo, Tiago Wilson; Santiago, Fernanda Maria
- 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 fibrinogenβ-chain faster than the β-chain, while the fibrinogen-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.
- Subjects
HYMENOPTERA; VENOM; POISONOUS animals; ANTS; ENZYMES; BIOLOGICAL assay
- Publication
Toxins, 2015, Vol 7, Issue 12, p5114
- ISSN
2072-6651
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/toxins7124869