Purification and molecular characterization of phospholipase, antigen 5 and hyaluronidases from the venom of the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina)

PLoS One. 2020 Jan 10;15(1):e0225672. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225672. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to purify potential allergenic components of Vespa velutina venom, the yellow legged Asian Hornet, and perform a preliminary characterization of the purified proteins. Starting from the whole venom of V.velutina, several chromatographic steps allowed to purify the phospholipase (named Vesp v 1), as well as the antigen 5 (Vesp v 5, the only allergenic component described as such so far). The two hyaluronidase isoforms found (Vesp v 2A and Vesp v 2B) cannot be separated from each other, but they are partially purified and characterized. Purity of the isolated proteins in shown by SDSPAGE, as well as by the results of the N-terminal sequencing. This characterization and nLC-MS/MS data provide most of the sequence for Vesp v 1 and Vesp v 5 (72 and 84% coverage, respectively), confirming that the whole sequences of the isolated natural components match with the data available in public transcriptomic databases. It is of particular interest that Vesp v 1 is a glycosylated phospholipase, a fact that had only described so far for the corresponding allergen components of Dolichovespula maculata and Solenopsis invicta. The availability of the complete sequences of Vespa velutina components permits comparison with homologous sequences from other Hymenoptera. These data demonstrate the higher similarity among the species of the genera Vespa and Vespula, in comparison to Polistes species, as it is especially observed with the hyaluronidases isoforms: the isoform Vesp v 2A only exists in the former genera, and not in Polistes; in addition, the most abundant isoform (Vesp v 2B) exhibits 93% sequence identity with the Ves v 2 isoform of Vespula vulgaris. Finally, the isolated components might be useful for improving the diagnosis of patients that could be allergic to stings of this invasive Asian hornet, as it has been the case of an improved diagnosis and treatment of other Hymenoptera-sensitized patients.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / chemistry
  • Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / isolation & purification
  • Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / metabolism*
  • Insect Proteins / chemistry
  • Insect Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Insect Proteins / metabolism*
  • Isoenzymes / chemistry
  • Isoenzymes / isolation & purification
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism
  • Nanotechnology
  • Phospholipases / chemistry
  • Phospholipases / isolation & purification
  • Phospholipases / metabolism*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Wasp Venoms / chemistry
  • Wasp Venoms / enzymology*
  • Wasp Venoms / isolation & purification
  • Wasp Venoms / metabolism
  • Wasps

Substances

  • Insect Proteins
  • Isoenzymes
  • Wasp Venoms
  • white-faced hornet venom antigen 5
  • Phospholipases
  • Hyaluronoglucosaminidase

Grants and funding

All the authors who are sending this paper, as mentioned in our affiliations, are employees of “ALK-Abelló”, belonging to the Research and Development (CMC R&D) in Madrid-Spain, and Research department (Global Research) in Horsholm-Denmark. The “Funder” ALK-Abelló provided support in the form of salaries for authors RIM, RG, IH, ML, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.