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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects
Published on: April 21, 2018
A membrane disrupting toxin from wasp venom underlies the molecular mechanism of tissue damage
Rose Ombati1, Yunfei Wang2, Canwei Du3
1Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya PO Box 24481-00502, Karen, Nairobi, Kenya.
Abstract:
The molecular mechanism of the local hypersensitivity reactions to wasp venom including dermal necrosis remains an enigma regardless of the numerosity of the reported cases. In this study, we discovered a new membrane disrupting toxin, VESCP-M2 responsible for tissue damage symptoms following Vespa mandarinia envenomation. Electrophysiological assays revealed a potent ability of VESCP-M2 to permeate the cell membrane whereas in vivo experiments demonstrated that VESCP-M2 induces edema, pain and dermal necrosis characterized by the presence of morphological and behavioral phenotypes, pro-inflammatory mediators, biomarkers as well as the disruption of dermal tissue. This study presents the molecular mechanism and symptom-related function of VESCP-M2 which may form a basis for prognosis as well as therapeutic interventions.
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