INSECTS Animal Toxins Macuja, John Carlo O. Ocbina, Jackielyn B. III-BSCT Chemical and Molecular Toxicology Department of Physical Sciences College of Science Philippine 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.

Africanized Honey Bees 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 Structure of Melittin: 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.

Africanized Honey Bees Other components of apitoxin: Apamin  Adolapin 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 Hyaluronidase -comprising 1-3% of peptides dilates the capillaries causing the spread of inflammation. Histamine  Dopamine and noradrenaline  Protease-inhibitors 

Africanized Honey Bees Specific part where the toxins are present: Bee Stinger

Africanized Honey Bees 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

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

Asian Giant Hornet Specific part where the toxins are present: Its sting has a higher concentration of the pain-causing chemical called Acetylcholine than any other stinging insect.

Asian Giant Hornet Characteristics of the venom: 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.”

Asian Giant Hornet Receptor: In the case of histamine secretion, the effect of mastoparan takes place via its interference with G protein activity.

Asian Giant Hornet  G protein

Bullet Ant It inhabits in humid lowland rainforests from Nicaragua and the extreme east of Honduras south to Paraguay.

It hurts so much it feels like you’ve been shot with a bullet Bullet Ant Characteristics of the venom: 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

Bullet Ant 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:

Receptor: Voltage-gated sodium ion channel Bullet Ant Receptor: Voltage-gated sodium ion channel