Biomaterial Database

[Interaction between bee venom melittin and human blood albumin]. 1995

D G Azhitskiĭ, and G Iu Azhitskiĭ, and S N Borisenko

It is shown that bee venom melittin interacts with human blood albumin at pH 8.0-8.5 in the presence of NaCl (concentration over 0.1%) and forms a precipitating complex (MA), the albumin/melittin ratio being 1:12 for the monomer melittin. With a decrease of pH down to 5.3 and salt concentration below the limit mentioned, the precipitate is destroyed. The complex is soluble in the distilled water. Conditions for carrying the precipitation reaction between albumin and melittin in agarose gel are chosen. The titration method has been used to determine that melittin is bound up with albumin in the molar ratio (10-12):1 for monomeric melittin or 3:1 for tetrameric melittin.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008555	Melitten	Basic polypeptide from the venom of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). It contains 26 amino acids, has cytolytic properties, causes contracture of muscle, releases histamine, and disrupts surface tension, probably due to lysis of cell and mitochondrial membranes.	Melittin,Mellitin
D011232	Chemical Precipitation	The formation of a solid in a solution as a result of a chemical reaction or the aggregation of soluble substances into complexes large enough to fall out of solution.	Precipitation, Chemical
D011485	Protein Binding	The process in which substances, either endogenous or exogenous, bind to proteins, peptides, enzymes, protein precursors, or allied compounds. Specific protein-binding measures are often used as assays in diagnostic assessments.	Plasma Protein Binding Capacity,Binding, Protein
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006863	Hydrogen-Ion Concentration	The normality of a solution with respect to HYDROGEN ions; H+. It is related to acidity measurements in most cases by pH	pH,Concentration, Hydrogen-Ion,Concentrations, Hydrogen-Ion,Hydrogen Ion Concentration,Hydrogen-Ion Concentrations
D001514	Bee Venoms	Toxins obtained from Apis mellifera (honey bee) and related species. They contain various enzymes, polypeptide toxins, and other substances, some of which are allergenic or immunogenic or both. These venoms were formerly used in rheumatism to stimulate the pituitary-adrenal system.	Apis Venoms,Honeybee Venom,Honeybee Venoms,Apitoxin,Bee Venom,Venom, Bee,Venom, Honeybee,Venoms, Apis,Venoms, Bee,Venoms, Honeybee
D012685	Sepharose		Agarose,Sepharose 4B,Sepharose C1 4B,4B, Sepharose C1,C1 4B, Sepharose
D012709	Serum Albumin	A major protein in the BLOOD. It is important in maintaining the colloidal osmotic pressure and transporting large organic molecules.	Plasma Albumin,Albumin, Serum
D012965	Sodium Chloride	A ubiquitous sodium salt that is commonly used to season food.	Sodium Chloride, (22)Na,Sodium Chloride, (24)NaCl
D017186	Titrimetry	The determination of the concentration of a given component in solution (the analyte) by addition of a liquid reagent of known strength (the titrant) until an equivalence point is reached (when the reactants are present in stoichiometric proportions). Often an indicator is added to make the equivalence point visible (e.g., a change in color).