Biological and Enzymatic Characterization of Proteases from Crude Venom of the Ant Odontomachus bauri

• Published in: Toxins Vol. 7; no. 12; pp. 5114 - 5128
• Main Authors: Silva, Mariana Ferreira, Mota, Caroline Martins, Miranda, Vanessa dos Santos, Cunha, Amanda de Oliveira, Silva, Maraísa Cristina, Naves, Karinne Spirandelli Carvalho, de Oliveira, Fábio, Silva, Deise Aparecida de Oliveira, Mineo, Tiago Wilson Patriarca, Santiago, Fernanda Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI 30-11-2015; MDPI AG
• Subjects: Animals; Ant Venoms - enzymology; Ant Venoms - toxicity; Anti-Bacterial Agents - toxicity; Antiparasitic Agents - toxicity; Ants; Cell Survival - drug effects; Coagulants - toxicity; crude venom; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - genetics; HeLa Cells; Hemolysis; Humans; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Macrophages - drug effects; Male; Mice; Odontomachus bauri; Peptide Hydrolases - metabolism; proteases; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - growth & development; Toxoplasma - drug effects; Toxoplasma - pathogenicity; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasma gondii; Odontomachus bauri; crude venom; proteases
• ISSN: 2072-6651; 2072-6651
• DOI: 10.3390/toxins7124869

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.