INSECTSAnimal Toxins

Macuja, John Carlo O.Ocbina, Jackielyn B.

III-BSCTChemical and Molecular

ToxicologyDepartment of Physical Sciences

College of SciencePhilippine Normal University

Africanized Honey Bees aka killer bees

Scientific name:Apis mellifera

These are hybrid varieties of the Western honey bee

species, produced originally by the cross-breeding of

the African honey bee A. m. scutellata, with various European honey bees.

Africanized Honey Bees aka killer bees

Toxins Present:

Apitoxin - or honey bee venom, is a bitter, acidic, colorless liquid. 

The active portion of the venom is a complex mixture of proteins, which causes local inflammation and acts as an anticoagulant.

The main component is melittin comprising 52% of venom peptides.

Melittin is the principal active component of apitoxin (bee venom)

and is a powerful stimulator of phospholipase A2.

Melittin is a peptide consisting of 26 amino acids with the sequence GIGAVLKVLTTGLPALISWIKRKRQQ.

Africanized Honey Bees

Africanized Honey Bees

It inhibits protein kinase C, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependentprotein kinase II, myosin light chain kinase and Na+/K+-ATPase (synaptosomal membrane) and is a cell membrane lytic factor.

Structure of Melittin:

Other components of apitoxin:1. Apamin 2. Adolapin3. Phospholipase A2- comprises 10-12% of

peptides and it is the most destructive component of apitoxin. It is an enzyme which degrades the phospholipids which cellular membranes are made of

4. Hyaluronidase -comprising 1-3% of peptides dilates the capillaries causing the spread of inflammation.

5. Histamine 6. Dopamine and noradrenaline  Protease-

inhibitors 

Africanized Honey Bees

Specific part where the toxins are present:

Africanized Honey Bees

Bee Stinger

Symptoms:

Africanized Honey Bees

Africanized honey bee stings, like those of common honey bees, can cause local pain, itching, swelling, skin infection. They can also cause allergic reaction with breathing difficulty, heart irregularity, seizures, shock, and death. Serious kidney, muscle, liver, brain, and lung

Treatment:

Remove the stinger Apply cold compress Seek medical attention

Africanized Honey Bees

Asian Giant Hornet It is the world's largest hornet,

native to temperate and tropical regions.

Scientific name:Vespa mandarinia

Asian Giant Hornet Toxin present:

Mastoparan is a peptide toxin from wasp venom. It has the chemical structure Ile-Asn-Leu-Lys-Ala-Leu-Ala-Ala-Leu-Ala-Lys-Lys-Ile-Leu-NH2.

Mandaratoxin (MDTX),a single-chain polypeptide with a molecular weight of approximately 20,000 u.

Mastoparan

Specific part where the toxins are present:

Asian Giant Hornet 

Its sting has a higher concentration of the pain-causing chemical called Acetylcholine

than any other stinging insect.

Asian Giant Hornet 

An enzyme in its venom can dissolve human tissue.

Containing at least eight distinctly different chemicals, the venom itself produces one such that actually attracts others of its kind to the victim.

An entomologist at Tamagawa University near Tokyo, described the sensation as feeling “like a hot nail being driven into my leg.”

Characteristics of the venom:

Asian Giant Hornet 

In the case of histamine secretion, the effect of mastoparan takes place via its interference with G protein activity.

Receptor:

Asian Giant Hornet G protein

Bullet AntIt inhabits in humid lowland rainforests from Nicaragua and the extreme east of

Honduras south to Paraguay.

Bullet Ant

Bullet Ant’s sting is said to be the most painful in the world, according

to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index.

The insect’s sting causes waves of burning, throbbing, mind-blowing,

pain that doesn’t stop for 24 hours.

It hurts so much it feels like you’ve been shot with a bullet

Characteristics of the venom:

Toxins Present:A paralyzing 25 residue peptide isolated from the venom is poneratoxin. Poneratoxin is a neurotoxin

It affects voltage-gated sodium ion channels and blocks the synaptic transmission in the central nervous system.

Bullet Ant

Structure of Poneratoxin:

Bullet Ant

Receptor: Voltage-gated sodium ion channel

Bullet Ant