Abstract
Two novel biologically active peptides, Eumenine mastoparan-OD and Orancis-Protonectin, were isolated from a solitary wasp, Orancistrocerus drewseni drewseni (Eumeninae, Vespidae). MALDI-TOF MS analysis of a small amount of the crude venom gave two intensive molecular-related ion peaks at m/z 1269.9 and 1552.9 that were expected to be novel based on a peptide database search. Purification of the crude venom by HPLC gave two peptide fractions, P-1 and P-2. The amino acid sequence of P-1 (GRILSFIKAGLAEHL-NH2) and P-2 (ILGIITSLLKSL-NH2) were determined by ESI-MS/MS, automated Edman degradation, and amino acid analysis. According to the high sequence homology with those of mastoparan and protonectin, P-1 and P-2 were labeled Eumenine mastoparan-OD and Orancis-Protonectin, respectively. Orancis-Protonectin is the first example of a protonectin analog isolated from the venom of a solitary wasp. The hemolytic activities of these new peptides were more potent than that of mastoparan.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Prof. K. Gokon of Tohoku Gakuin University for the discussion about the morphological aspects of wasps. This study was supported by the Research for the Future Program from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS 99L01204).
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Murata, K., Shinada, T., Ohfune, Y. et al. Novel mastoparan and protonectin analogs isolated from a solitary wasp, Orancistrocerus drewseni drewseni . Amino Acids 37, 389–394 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-008-0166-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-008-0166-y