Insect Molecular Biology, Early View
Honey bee venom is a complex mixture of toxic proteins and
peptides. In the present study we tried to extend our knowledge of the venom
composition using two different approaches.
First, worker venom was analysed by liquid
chromatography-mass spectrometry and this revealed the antimicrobial peptide
apidaecin for the first time in such samples. Its expression in the venom gland
was confirmed by reverse transcription PCR and by a peptidomic analysis of the
venom apparatus tissue.
Second, genome mining revealed a list of proteins with
resemblance to known insect allergens or venom toxins, one of which showed
homology to proteins of the antigen 5 (Ag5)/Sol i 3 cluster. It was
demonstrated that the honey bee Ag5-like gene is expressed by venom gland
tissue of winter bees but not of summer bees. Besides this seasonal variation,
it shows an interesting spatial expression pattern with additional production
in the hypopharyngeal glands, the brains and the midgut.
Finally, our immunoblot study revealed that both synthetic
apidaecin and the Ag5-like recombinant from bacteria evoke no humoral activity
in beekeepers. Also, no IgG4-based cross-reactivity was detected between the
honey bee Ag5-like protein and its yellow jacket paralogue Ves v 5.
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