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Question

What is mellitin and how is it cytotoxic.?
as wasp sting contains mellitin, then what does bee sting contain?

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Solution

Melittinis the principal active component of apitoxin (bee venom).Melittin is a peptide consisting of 26 amino acids.

In laboratory experiments, melittininhibitsprotein kinaseC, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent proteinkinaseII,myosinlightchainkinase, and Na+/K+-ATPase (synaptosomal membrane) and is acell membrane-lytic factor. Melittin is a smallpeptidewith no disulfide bridge; the N-terminal part of themoleculeis predominantlyhydrophobicand the C-terminal part ishydrophilicand stronglybasic.

Melittin is underbasic researchto describe its possible biological properties associated with negatively chargedphospholipids, including potentialanticancereffects revealed in laboratory research to involvemitochondria-mediatedapoptosis.Mellitininhibitstransportpumps such as the Na+-K+-ATPase and the H+-K+-ATPase.In vitro, melittin increases the permeability ofcell membranesto ions, particularly Na+and indirectly Ca2+, because of the Na+-Ca2+-exchange. This effect results in morphological and functional changes, particularly in excitabletissues. Like beevenom, they alsocontainphospholipase A, the enzyme hyaluronidase, and histamine. ... You might have been told back in your science classes that beestingsare acidic, and can be neutralised with an alkali, whilstwasp stingsare alkaline, and can therefore be neutralised with an acid.


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