Peptide Toxins Research Articles

A novel intuitionistic fuzzy rough instance selection and attribute reduction with kernelized intuitionistic fuzzy C-means clustering to handle imbalanced datasets

Due to advancement of internet and lab based technologies, large volume of high dimensional data are generated every day. These data usually consisted of several issues such as class imbalance, noise, later uncertainty, irrelevant and/or redundant features, and redundancy in size. These issues degrade the overall performance measures of the various machine learning algorithms. An efficient method to cope with such issues for a large sized datasets is to apply efficient data reduction techniques. In the recent years, numerous data reduction techniques have been presented based on fuzzy rough set theory to tackle these obstacles. However, building such a method that can handle all the above mentioned issues simultaneously is still a challenging task. In this study, we handle all these obstacles simultaneously by introducing a novel approach to obtain the reduced dataset by combining kernelized intuitionistic fuzzy C-means with intuitionistic fuzzy rough set model. Intuitionistic fuzzy rough set handles the vagueness and uncertainty in a better way than fuzzy set aided models as it takes use of membership, non-membership as well as hesitancy to capture the uncertainty of real-valued datasets. To generate the membership and non-membership grades, kernelized intuitionistic fuzzy C- means based notion is introduced. Further, an intuitionistic fuzzy rough set model is established by addressing lower and upper approximations based on a novel similarity relation. Moreover, all the necessary conditions are justified with the relevant mathematical theorems. Next, this model is employed for dimensionality reduction based on the concept of discernibility matrix by using the idea of different classes’ ratios to avoid the noise. Thereafter, positive region is defined with the help of lower approximation. The positive region information is applied to tackle problematic instances available in both minority and majority class for the imbalanced dataset after generation of artificial samples by synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). A comprehensive experimental study is added to show the effectiveness of the proposed technique. Finally, a framework is established to improve the prediction of animal toxin peptides.

Diversity analysis of sea anemone peptide toxins in different tissues of Heteractis crispa based on transcriptomics

Peptide toxins found in sea anemones venom have diverse properties that make them important research subjects in the fields of pharmacology, neuroscience and biotechnology. This study used high-throughput sequencing technology to systematically analyze the venom components of the tentacles, column, and mesenterial filaments of sea anemone Heteractis crispa, revealing the diversity and complexity of sea anemone toxins in different tissues. A total of 1049 transcripts were identified and categorized into 60 families, of which 91.0% were proteins and 9.0% were peptides. Of those 1049 transcripts, 416, 291, and 307 putative proteins and peptide precursors were identified from tentacles, column, and mesenterial filaments respectively, while 428 were identified when the datasets were combined. Of these putative toxin sequences, 42 were detected in all three tissues, including 33 proteins and 9 peptides, with the majority of peptides being ShKT domain, β-defensin, and Kunitz-type. In addition, this study applied bioinformatics approaches to predict the family classification, 3D structures, and functional annotation of these representative peptides, as well as the evolutionary relationships between peptides, laying the foundation for the next step of peptide pharmacological activity research.

A poisonous cocktail: interplay of cereulide toxin and its structural isomers in emetic Bacillus cereus.

Food intoxications evoked by emetic Bacillus cereus strains constitute a serious threat to public health, leading to emesis and severe organ failure. The emetic peptide toxin cereulide, assembled by the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase CesNRPS, cannot be eradicated from contaminated food by usual hygienic measures due to its molecular size and structural stability. Next to cereulide, diverse chemical variants have been described recently that are produced concurrently with cereulide by CesNRPS. However, the contribution of these isocereulides to the actual toxicity of emetic B. cereus, which produces a cocktail of these toxins in a certain ratio, is still elusive. Since cereulide isoforms have already been detected in food remnants from foodborne outbreaks, we aimed to gain insights into the composition of isocereulides and their impact on the overall toxicity of emetic B. cereus. The amounts and ratios of cereulide and isocereulides were determined in B. cereus grown under standard laboratory conditions and in a contaminated sample of fried rice balls responsible for one of the most severe food outbreaks caused by emetic B. cereus in recent years. The ratios of variants were determined as robust, produced either under laboratory or natural, food-poisoning conditions. Examination of their actual toxicity in human epithelial HEp2-cells revealed that isocereulides A-N, although accounting for only 10% of the total cereulide toxins, were responsible for about 40% of the total cytotoxicity. An this despite the fact that some of the isocereulides were less cytotoxic than cereulide when tested individually for cytotoxicity. To estimate the additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects of the single variants, each cereulide variant was mixed with cereulide in a 1:9 and 1:1 binary blend, respectively, and tested on human cells. The results showed additive and synergistic impacts of single variants, highlighting the importance of including not only cereulide but also the isocereulides in routine food and clinical diagnostics to achieve a realistic toxicity evaluation of emetic B. cereus in contaminated food as well as in patient samples linked to foodborne outbreaks. Since the individual isoforms confer different cell toxicity both alone and in association with cereulide, further investigations are needed to fully understand their cocktail effect.

Structural basis for autoinhibition by the dephosphorylated regulatory domain of Ycf1

Yeast Cadmium Factor 1 (Ycf1) sequesters glutathione and glutathione-heavy metal conjugates into yeast vacuoles as a cellular detoxification mechanism. Ycf1 belongs to the C subfamily of ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters characterized by long flexible linkers, notably the regulatory domain (R-domain). R-domain phosphorylation is necessary for activity, whereas dephosphorylation induces autoinhibition through an undefined mechanism. Because of its transient and dynamic nature, no structure of the dephosphorylated Ycf1 exists, limiting understanding of this R-domain regulation. Here, we capture the dephosphorylated Ycf1 using cryo-EM and show that the unphosphorylated R-domain indeed forms an ordered structure with an unexpected hairpin topology bound within the Ycf1 substrate cavity. This architecture and binding mode resemble that of a viral peptide inhibitor of an ABC transporter and the secreted bacterial WXG peptide toxins. We further reveal the subset of phosphorylation sites within the hairpin turn that drive the reorganization of the R-domain conformation, suggesting a mechanism for Ycf1 activation by phosphorylation-dependent release of R-domain mediated autoinhibition.

KcsA-Kv1.x chimeras with complete ligand-binding sites provide improved predictivity for screening selective Kv1.x blockers

Despite significant advances in the development of therapeutic interventions targeting autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory conditions, lack of effective treatment still poses a high unmet need. Modulating chronically activated T cells through the blockade of the Kv1.3 potassium channel is a promising therapeutic approach, however, developing selective Kv1.3 inhibitors is still an arduous task. Phage display-based high throughput peptide library screening is a rapid and robust approach to develop promising drug candidates; however, it requires solid-phase immobilization of target proteins with their binding site preserved. Historically, the KcsA bacterial channel chimera harboring only the turret region of the human Kv1.3 channel was used for screening campaigns. Nevertheless, literature data suggest that binding to this type of chimera does not correlate well with blocking potency on the native Kv1.3 channels. Therefore, we designed and successfully produced advanced KcsA-Kv1.3, -Kv1.1 and -Kv1.2 chimeric proteins in which both the turret and part of the filter regions of the human Kv1.x channels were transferred. These T+F (turret-filter) chimeras showed superior peptide ligand binding predictivity compared to their T-only versions in novel phage ELISA assays. Phage ELISA binding and competition results supported with electrophysiological data confirmed that the filter region of KcsA-Kv1.x is essential for establishing adequate relative affinity order among selected peptide toxins (Vm24 toxin, Hongotoxin-1, Kaliotoxin-1, Maurotoxin, Stichodactyla toxin) and consequently obtaining more reliable selectivity data. These new findings provide a better screening tool for future drug development efforts and offer insight into the target-ligand interactions of these therapeutically relevant ion channels.

Candida albicans translocation through the intestinal epithelial barrier is promoted by fungal zinc acquisition and limited by NFκB-mediated barrier protection.

The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans thrives on human mucosal surfaces as a harmless commensal, but frequently causes infections under certain predisposing conditions. Translocation across the intestinal barrier into the bloodstream by intestine-colonizing C. albicans cells serves as the main source of disseminated candidiasis. However, the host and microbial mechanisms behind this process remain unclear. In this study we identified fungal and host factors specifically involved in infection of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) using dual-RNA sequencing. Our data suggest that host-cell damage mediated by the peptide toxin candidalysin-encoding gene ECE1 facilitates fungal zinc acquisition. This in turn is crucial for the full virulence potential of C. albicans during infection. IECs in turn exhibit a filamentation- and damage-specific response to C. albicans infection, including NFκB, MAPK, and TNF signaling. NFκB activation by IECs limits candidalysin-mediated host-cell damage and mediates maintenance of the intestinal barrier and cell-cell junctions to further restrict fungal translocation. This is the first study to show that candidalysin-mediated damage is necessary for C. albicans nutrient acquisition during infection and to explain how IECs counteract damage and limit fungal translocation via NFκB-mediated maintenance of the intestinal barrier.

Synthesis and Hypoglycemic Effect of Insulin from the Venom of Sea Anemone Exaiptasia diaphana.

Sea anemone venom, abundant in protein and peptide toxins, serves primarily for predatory defense and competition. This study delves into the insulin-like peptides (ILPs) present in sea anemones, particularly focusing on their role in potentially inducing hypoglycemic shock in prey. We identified five distinct ILPs in Exaiptasia diaphana, exhibiting varied sequences. Among these, ILP-Ap04 was successfully synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) to evaluate its hypoglycemic activity. When tested in zebrafish, ILP-Ap04 significantly reduced blood glucose levels in a model of diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ) and glucose, concurrently affecting the normal locomotor behavior of zebrafish larvae. Furthermore, molecular docking studies revealed ILP-Ap04's unique interaction with the human insulin receptor, characterized by a detailed hydrogen-bonding network, which supports a unique mechanism for its hypoglycemic effects. Our findings suggest that sea anemones have evolved sophisticated strategies to activate insulin receptors in vertebrates, providing innovative insights into the design of novel drugs for the treatment of diabetes.

Global fungal-host interactome mapping identifies host targets of candidalysin

Candidalysin, a cytolytic peptide toxin secreted by the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, is critical for fungal pathogenesis. Yet, its intracellular targets have not been extensively mapped. Here, we performed a high-throughput enhanced yeast two-hybrid (HT-eY2H) screen to map the interactome of all eight Ece1 peptides with their direct human protein targets and identified a list of potential interacting proteins, some of which were shared between the peptides. CCNH, a regulatory subunit of the CDK-activating kinase (CAK) complex involved in DNA damage repair, was identified as one of the host targets of candidalysin. Mechanistic studies revealed that candidalysin triggers a significantly increased double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs), as evidenced by the formation of γ-H2AX foci and colocalization of CCNH and γ-H2AX. Importantly, candidalysin binds directly to CCNH to activate CAK to inhibit DNA damage repair pathway. Loss of CCNH alleviates DSBs formation under candidalysin treatment. Depletion of candidalysin-encoding gene fails to induce DSBs and stimulates CCNH upregulation in a murine model of oropharyngeal candidiasis. Collectively, our study reveals that a secreted fungal toxin acts to hijack the canonical DNA damage repair pathway by targeting CCNH and to promote fungal infection.

Profiling the Linear Peptides of Venom from the Brazilian Scorpion Tityus serrulatus: Structural and Functional Characterization.

Scorpion venoms are a rich source of bioactive peptides, most of which are neurotoxic, with 30 to 70 amino acid residues in their sequences. There are a scarcity of reports in the literature concerning the short linear peptides found in scorpion venoms. This type of peptide toxin may be selectively extracted from the venom using 50% (v/v) acetonitrile. The use of LC-MS and MS/MS enabled the detection of 12 bioactive short linear peptides, of which six were identified as cryptides. These peptides were shown to be multifunctional, causing hemolysis, mast cell degranulation and lysis, edema, pain, and anxiety, increasing the complexity of the envenomation mechanism. Apparently, the natural functions of these peptide toxins are to induce inflammation and discomfort in the victims of scorpion stings.

Secretion of the fungal toxin candidalysin is dependent on conserved precursor peptide sequences.

The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans damages host cells via its peptide toxin, candidalysin. Before secretion, candidalysin is embedded in a precursor protein, Ece1, which consists of a signal peptide, the precursor of candidalysin and seven non-candidalysin Ece1 peptides (NCEPs), and is found to be conserved in clinical isolates. Here we show that the Ece1 polyprotein does not resemble the usual precursor structure of peptide toxins. C. albicans cells are not susceptible to their own toxin, and single NCEPs adjacent to candidalysin are sufficient to prevent host cell toxicity. Using a series of Ece1 mutants, mass spectrometry and anti-candidalysin nanobodies, we show that NCEPs play a role in intracellular Ece1 folding and candidalysin secretion. Removal of single NCEPs or modifications of peptide sequences cause an unfolded protein response (UPR), which in turn inhibits hypha formation and pathogenicity in vitro. Our data indicate that the Ece1 precursor is not required to block premature pore-forming toxicity, but rather to prevent intracellular auto-aggregation of candidalysin sequences.

Effects of Nano-Electrospray Ionization Emitter Position on Unintentional In-Source Activation of Peptide and Protein Ions.

Native ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) typically introduces protein ions into the gas phase through nano-electrospray ionization (nESI). Many nESI setups have mobile stages for tuning the ion signal and extent of co-solute and salt adduction. However, tuning the position of the emitter capillary in nESI can have unintended downstream consequences for collision-induced unfolding or collision-induced dissociation (CIU/D) experiments. Here, we show that relatively small variations in the nESI emitter position can shift the midpoint (commonly called the "CID50" or "CIU50") potential of CID breakdown curves and CIU transitions by as much as 8 V on commercial instruments. A spatial "map" of the shift in CID50 for the loss of heme from holomyoglobin onto the emitter position on a Waters Synapt G2-Si mass spectrometer shows that emitter positions closer to the instrument inlet can result in significantly greater in-source activation, whereas different effects are found on an Agilent 6545XT instrument for the ions studied. A similar effect is observed for CID of the singly protonated leucine enkephalin peptide and Shiga toxin 1 subunit B homopentamer on the Waters Synapt G2-Si instrument. In-source activation effects on a Waters Synapt G2-Si are also investigated by examining the RMSD between CIU fingerprints acquired at different emitter positions and the shifts in CIU50 for structural transitions of bovine serum albumin and NIST monoclonal antibody.

Nanobody-mediated neutralization of candidalysin prevents epithelial damage and inflammatory responses that drive vulvovaginal candidiasis pathogenesis.

Candida albicans can cause mucosal infections in humans. This includes oropharyngeal candidiasis, which is commonly observed in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients, and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), which is the most frequent manifestation of candidiasis. Epithelial cell invasion by C. albicans hyphae is accompanied by the secretion of candidalysin, a peptide toxin that causes epithelial cell cytotoxicity. During vaginal infections, candidalysin-driven tissue damage triggers epithelial signaling pathways, leading to hyperinflammatory responses and immunopathology, a hallmark of VVC. Therefore, we proposed blocking candidalysin activity using nanobodies to reduce epithelial damage and inflammation as a therapeutic strategy for VVC. Anti-candidalysin nanobodies were confirmed to localize around epithelial-invading C. albicans hyphae, even within the invasion pocket where candidalysin is secreted. The nanobodies reduced candidalysin-induced damage to epithelial cells and downstream proinflammatory responses. Accordingly, the nanobodies also decreased neutrophil activation and recruitment. In silico mathematical modeling enabled the quantification of epithelial damage caused by candidalysin under various nanobody dosing strategies. Thus, nanobody-mediated neutralization of candidalysin offers a novel therapeutic approach to block immunopathogenic events during VVC and alleviate symptoms.IMPORTANCEWorldwide, vaginal infections caused by Candida albicans (VVC) annually affect millions of women, with symptoms significantly impacting quality of life. Current treatments are based on anti-fungals and probiotics that target the fungus. However, in some cases, infections are recurrent, called recurrent VVC, which often fails to respond to treatment. Vaginal mucosal tissue damage caused by the C. albicans peptide toxin candidalysin is a key driver in the induction of hyperinflammatory responses that fail to clear the infection and contribute to immunopathology and disease severity. In this pre-clinical evaluation, we show that nanobody-mediated candidalysin neutralization reduces tissue damage and thereby limits inflammation. Implementation of candidalysin-neutralizing nanobodies may prove an attractive strategy to alleviate symptoms in complicated VVC cases.

Venomics Reveals the Venom Complexity of Sea Anemone Heteractis magnifica.

The venoms of various sea anemones are rich in diverse toxins, which usually play a dual role in capturing prey and deterring predators. However, the complex components of such venoms have not been well known yet. Here, venomics of integrating transcriptomic and proteomic technologies was applied for the first time to identify putative protein and peptide toxins from different tissues of the representative sea anemone, Heteractis magnifica. The transcriptomic analysis of H. magnifica identified 728 putative toxin sequences, including 442 and 381 from the tentacles and the column, respectively, and they were assigned to 68 gene superfamilies. The proteomic analysis confirmed 101 protein and peptide toxins in the venom, including 91 in the tentacles and 39 in the column. The integrated venomics also confirmed that some toxins such as the ShK-like peptides and defensins are co-expressed in both the tentacles and the column. Meanwhile, a homology analysis was conducted to predict the three-dimensional structures and potential activity of seven representative toxins. Altogether, this venomics study revealed the venom complexity of H. magnifica, which will help deepen our understanding of cnidarian toxins, thereby supporting the in-depth development of valuable marine drugs.

Methicillin Resistance Elements in the Canine Pathogen Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Their Association with the Peptide Toxin PSM-mec.

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a frequent cause of infections in dogs. Infectious isolates of this coagulase-positive staphylococcal species are often methicillin- and multidrug-resistant, which complicates therapy. In staphylococci, methicillin resistance is encoded by determinants found on mobile genetic elements called Staphylococcal Chromosome Cassette mec (SCCmec), which, in addition to methicillin resistance factors, sometimes encode additional genes, such as further resistance factors and, rarely, virulence determinants. In this study, we analyzed SCCmec in a collection of infectious methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) isolates from predominant lineages in the United States. We found that several lineages characteristically have specific types of SCCmec elements and Agr types and harbor additional factors in their SCCmec elements that may promote virulence or affect DNA uptake. All isolates had SCCmec-encoded restriction-modification (R-M) systems of types I or II, and sequence types (STs) ST84 and ST64 had one type II and one type I R-M system, although the latter lacked a complete methylation enzyme gene. ST68 isolates also had an SCCmec-encoded CRISPR system. ST71 isolates had a psm-mec gene, which, in all but apparently Agr-dysfunctional isolates, produced a PSM-mec peptide toxin, albeit at relatively small amounts. This study gives detailed insight into the composition of SCCmec elements in infectious isolates of S. pseudintermedius and lays the genetic foundation for further efforts directed at elucidating the contribution of identified accessory SCCmec factors in impacting SCCmec-encoded and thus methicillin resistance-associated virulence and resistance to DNA uptake in this leading canine pathogen.

Immunity to pathogenic mucosal C. albicans infections mediated by oral megakaryocytes activated by IL-17 and candidalysin

The fungus Candida albicans can cause mucosal infections including oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) in immunocompromised patients. In humans, an increased risk of fungal infections correlates with thrombocytopenia. However, our understanding of platelets and megakaryocytes in mucosal fungal infections is almost entirely unknown. When megakaryocyte- and platelet-depleted mice were infected with OPC, the tongue showed higher fungal burden, due to decreased neutrophil accumulation. Protection depended on a distinct population of oral-resident megakaryocytes. Interleukin-17, important in antifungal immunity, was required since mice lacking the IL-17 receptor had decreased circulating platelets and their oral megakaryocytes did not expand during OPC. The secretion of the peptide toxin candidalysin activated human megakaryocytes to release platelets with antifungal capacity. Infection with a candidalysin-deficient strain resulted in decreased expansion of tongue megakaryocytes during OPC. This is the first time that a distinct megakaryocyte population was identified in the oral mucosa that is critical for immunity against fungal infection.

Comparison of the structure-function of five newly members of the calcin family

Calcins are a group of scorpion toxin peptides specifically binding to ryanodine receptors (RyRs) with high affinity, and have the ability to activate and stabilize RyR in a long-lasting subconductance state. Five newly calcins synthesized compounds exhibit typical structural characteristics of a specific family through chemical synthesis and virtual analysis. As the calcins from the same species, Petersiicalcin1 and Petersiicalcin2, Jendekicalcin2 and Jendekicalcin3, have only one residue difference. Both Petersiicalcin1 and Petersiicalcin2 exhibited different affinities in stimulating [3H]ryanodine binding, but the residue mutation resulted in a 2.7 folds difference. Other calcins also exhibited a stimulatory effect on [3H]ryanodine binding to RyR1, however, their affinities were significantly lower than that of Petersiiicalcin1 and Petersiiicalcin2. The channel domain of RyR1 was found to be capable of binding with the basic residues of these calcins, which also exhibited interactions with the S6 helices on RyR1. Dynamic simulations were conducted for Petersiicalcin1 and Petersiicalcin2, which demonstrated their ability to form a highly stable conformation and resulting in an asymmetric tetramer structure of RyR1. The discovery of five newly calcins further enriches the diversity of the natural calcin family, which provides more native peptides for the structure-function analysis between calcin and RyRs.

Diversity and Evolutionary Analysis of Venom Insulin Derived from Cone Snails.

Cone snails possess a diverse array of novel peptide toxins, which selectively target ion channels and receptors in the nervous and cardiovascular systems. These numerous novel peptide toxins are a valuable resource for future marine drug development. In this review, we compared and analyzed the sequence diversity, three-dimensional structural variations, and evolutionary aspects of venom insulin derived from different cone snail species. The comparative analysis reveals that there are significant variations in the sequences and three-dimensional structures of venom insulins from cone snails with different feeding habits. Notably, the venom insulin of some piscivorous cone snails exhibits a greater similarity to humans and zebrafish insulins. It is important to emphasize that these venom insulins play a crucial role in the predatory strategies of these cone snails. Furthermore, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to trace the lineage of venom insulin sequences, shedding light on the evolutionary interconnections among cone snails with diverse diets.

Isolation and cDNA cloning of four peptide toxins from the sea anemone Heteractis aurora

Isolation and cDNA cloning of four peptide toxins from the sea anemone Heteractis aurora

GastronOmics: Edibility and safety of mycelium of the oyster mushroom Pleurotusostreatus

Food production is one of the most environmentally damaging human activities. In the face of climate change, it is essential to rethink our dietary habits and explore potential alternative foods catering both towards human and planetary needs. Fungal mycelium might be an attractive alternative protein source due to its rapid growth on sustainable substrates as well as promising nutritional and organoleptic properties. The natural biodiversity of filamentous fungi is vast and represents an untapped reservoir for food innovation. However, fungi are known to produce bioactive compounds that may affect human health, both positively and negatively. To narrow the search for safe and culinarily attractive fungal species, mycelia of edible fruiting-body forming fungi provide a promising starting point. Here, we explore whether the culinary attractiveness and safety of the commonly eaten mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, can also be translated to its mycelium.Whole-genome sequencing and pan-genome analysis revealed a high degree of genetic variability within the genus Pleurotus, suggesting that gastronomic traits as well as food safety may differ between strains. A representative strain, P. ostreatus M2191, was further analyzed for the food safety, nutritional properties and culinary applicability of its mycelium. No regulated mycotoxins were detected in either the fruiting body nor the mycelium. Yet, P. ostreatus is known to produce four peptide toxins, Ostreatin, Ostreolysin and Pleurotoysin A/B. These were found to be lower in the mycelium compared to fruiting bodies, which are already considered safe for consumption. Instead, a number of secondary metabolites with potential health benefits were detected in the fungal mycelium. In silico analysis of the proteome suggested low allergenicity. In addition, the fruiting body and the mycelium showed similar nutritional value, which was dependent on the growth substrate.To highlight the culinary potential of mycelium, we created a dish served at the two-star restaurant the Alchemist in Copenhagen, Denmark. Sensory analysis of the mycelium dish by an untrained consumer panel indicated consumer liking and openness to fungal mycelia.Based on sustainability, safety, culinary potential, and consumer acceptance, our findings suggest that P. ostreatus mycelium has great potential for use as a novel food source.

An In Silico Comparative Study of Eleven Wasp Venom Allergens: An Arena for Therapeutic Approach

Peptide toxins in animals as part of the chemical arsenal for predation and/or protection, and they can also safeguard the host from pathogenic infections. Insects including the hymenopterans generate a battery of toxic bactericidal or bacteriostatic molecules which are small multifunctional, linear peptides that cause pain, have antimicrobial effects, and inflammatory processes . The toxins under the experiment are active against gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The present in silico study aims to predict the physicochemical attributes like molecular weight, theoretical pI, amino acid composition, extinction co-efficient, estimated half-life, instability index, aliphatic index and grand average of hydropathy (gravy) of wasps’ (class: Insecta; order: Hymenoptera) 11 wasp venom allergens through Expasy Protparam & Pepstat software tools. The secondary structures of the toxins were predicted using psi-Blast-based secondary structure prediction GOR4 tools revealing the % α helix, extended β strand, random coil and ambiguous state reflecting a comparative picture of physicochemical parameters of these defensins. 3D Homology modelling of these toxins was accomplished through Swiss-model webserver tool and validated through various in silico tools like ANOLEA, ProSA-web, QMean4 determining Z score, PROCHEK establishing the 3D models of these toxins. Use of Inter Pro, CDD, PROSITE, P fam, Tox DL, PrDOS software predicted the protein family, protein toxicity, protein disorder respectively. Scratch Protein Predictor software tools predicted cysteine – cysteine bonds. Docking of the eleven (11) wasp venom allergens individually with bacterial cell wall component N-acetylglucosamine was done by CB DOCK webserver resulting negative affinity scores reflecting towards the strong binding between the mentioned 11 toxins and N-acetylglucosamine indicating that the mentioned wasps’ toxin molecules might be used as potential antibacterial therapeutic molecules binding to N-acetylglucosamine leading to an avenue to the probable bacterial drug discovery.