Abstract
Assassin bug venoms are potent and exert diverse biological functions, making them potential biomedical goldmines. Besides feeding functions on arthropods, assassin bugs also use their venom for defense purposes causing localized and systemic reactions in vertebrates. However, assassin bug venoms remain poorly characterized. We collected the venom from the assassin bug Rhynocoris iracundus and investigated its composition and bioactivity in vitro and in vivo. It caused lysis of murine neuroblastoma, hepatoma cells, and healthy murine myoblasts. We demonstrated, for the first time, that assassin bug venom induces neurolysis and suggest that it counteracts paralysis locally via the destruction of neural networks, contributing to tissue digestion. Furthermore, the venom caused paralysis and melanization of Galleria mellonella larvae and pupae, whilst also possessing specific antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, but not Listeria grayi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A combinatorial proteo-transcriptomic approach was performed to identify potential toxins responsible for the observed effects. We identified neurotoxic Ptu1, an inhibitory cystin knot (ICK) toxin homologous to ω-conotoxins from cone snails, cytolytic redulysins homologous to trialysins from hematophagous kissing bugs, and pore-forming hemolysins. Additionally, chitinases and kininogens were found and may be responsible for insecticidal and cytolytic activities. We demonstrate the multifunctionality and complexity of assassin bug venom, which renders its molecular components interesting for potential biomedical applications.
Highlights
Venoms typically consist of a plethora of highly diverse toxins that affect a complex range of physiological targets [1]
E. coli was susceptible to the highest venom concentration (174 μg/mL)
Some focus has fallen on animal venoms since the toxins they are constituted of perform specialized physiological functions within their prey or predators
Summary
Venoms typically consist of a plethora of highly diverse toxins that affect a complex range of physiological targets [1]. Venom components have become highly specialized with the ability to perform complex and intricate biochemical tasks within their target organism [2] This ability to precisely manipulate specific organismal functions presents a biochemical gold mine of bio-active compounds that can be developed towards therapeutic or biotechnological applications [3,4]. The repurposing of venom toxins has been highly successful in the development of novel analgesics [5], diabetes drugs [6], and blood pressure modulators [7] Due to their potential applicability, venom toxins are receiving significant attention to discover candidates as therapeutics for many other diseases [8,9]. The rich profile of active venom molecules, often found in diverse venoms, present promising molecules for oncological studies [10,11]
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