Biological and Enzymatic Characterization of Proteases from Crude Venom of the Ant Odontomachus bauri
Mariana Ferreira Silva,
Caroline Martins Mota,
Vanessa dos Santos Miranda,
Amanda de Oliveira Cunha,
Maraísa Cristina Silva,
Karinne Spirandelli Carvalho Naves,
Fábio de Oliveira,
Deise Aparecida de Oliveira Silva,
Tiago Wilson Patriarca Mineo,
Fernanda Maria Santiago
Affiliations
Mariana Ferreira Silva
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo”, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Caroline Martins Mota
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo”, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Vanessa dos Santos Miranda
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo”, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Amanda de Oliveira Cunha
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo”, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Maraísa Cristina Silva
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo”, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Karinne Spirandelli Carvalho Naves
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Fábio de Oliveira
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Biophysics, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Deise Aparecida de Oliveira Silva
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo”, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Tiago Wilson Patriarca Mineo
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo”, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Fernanda Maria Santiago
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mario Endsfeldz Camargo”, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
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.
