Melittin—The principal toxin of honeybee venom—Is also produced in the honeybee fat body
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F24%3A00585498" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/24:00585498 - isvavai.cz</a>
Alternative codes found
RIV/60076658:12310/24:43907982 RIV/60076658:12520/24:43907982
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532045624000966/pdfft?md5=3664f989524bf5def364284a6ad5b78b&pid=1-s2.0-S1532045624000966-main.pdf" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532045624000966/pdfft?md5=3664f989524bf5def364284a6ad5b78b&pid=1-s2.0-S1532045624000966-main.pdf</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.109928" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.109928</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Melittin—The principal toxin of honeybee venom—Is also produced in the honeybee fat body
Original language description
Melittin is a powerful toxin present in honeybee venom that is active in a wide range of animals, from insects to humans. Melittin exerts numerous biological, toxicological, and pharmacological effects, the most important of which is destruction of the cell membrane. The phospholipase activity of melittin and its ability to activate phospholipases in the venom contribute to these actions. Using analytical methods, we discovered that the honeybee Apis mellifera produces melittin not only in the venom gland but also in its fat body cells, which remain resistant to this toxin's effects. We suggest that melittin acts as an anti-bacterial agent, since its gene expression is significantly upregulated when honeybees are infected with Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, additionally, melittin effectively kills these bacteria in the disc diffusion test. We hypothesize that the chemical and physicochemical properties of the melittin molecule (hydrophilicity, lipophilicity, and capacity to form tetramers) in combination with reactive conditions (melittin concentration, salt concentration, pH, and temperature) are responsible for the targeted destruction of bacterial cells and apparent tolerance towards own tissue cells. Considering that melittin is an important current and, importantly, potential broad-spectrum medication, a thorough understanding of the observed phenomena may significantly increase its use in clinical practice.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10608 - Biochemistry and molecular biology
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/GA24-10662S" target="_blank" >GA24-10662S: Defence reactions against Habrobracon hebetor wasp and honeybee venoms: mechanism of their action</a><br>
Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2024
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C
ISSN
1532-0456
e-ISSN
1878-1659
Volume of the periodical
281
Issue of the periodical within the volume
JUL 01
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
7
Pages from-to
109928
UT code for WoS article
001218562100002
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85190996531