Katsuhiro Konno

• Doctor of Philosophy
• University of Toyama

A comprehensive LC-MS study examined the venom components of the solitary scoliid wasp Scolia oculata. Online mass fingerprinting showed that crude venom contains 25 small molecules (amino acids, biogenic amines, and nucleosides/nucleotides) and 45 peptides with MW 400-2700. The small molecules were identified by elemental composition analysis, and...

Polyamines (PAs) are polycationic biogenic amines ubiquitously present in all life forms and are involved in molecular signaling and interaction, determining cell fate (e.g., cell proliferation, dif-ferentiation, and apoptosis). The intricate balance in the PAs’ levels in the tissues will determine whether beneficial or detrimental effects will aff...

Paraphaeolactones A1, A2, B1, and B2 (1-4, respectively), known arthropsadiol D (5), massariphenone (6) and its positional isomer 7, and massarilactones E (8) and G (9) were isolated from the culture broth of Paraphaeosphaeria sp. KT4192. Although the structural resemblance between 1 and 2 implies that these comprised a diastereomeric pair at the C...

Two protoilludanes tricoprotoilludanone (1) and tricoilludanlactone (2), a cerapicane tricocerapicanol D (3), an illudane tricoilludin D (4), and a ceratopicane tricoceratopicanone A (5) were isolated from Daedaleopsis tricolor along with a spiroaxane tricospiroaxane (6). Density functional theory (DFT)-based ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shift studies v...

Arthropods comprise the largest group of living animals, including thousands of species that inhabit marine and terrestrial niches in the biosphere [...].

Three unique sesquiterpenes, i.e., sesquikarahanadienone (1), sesquicarenol (2), and sesquikarahanaether (3), along with 2-chlorodiorcinol (4) and several known compounds, were isolated from freshwater Dothideomycetes Neohelicascus aquaticus KT4120. The relative structures of the new compounds 1–3 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. The synt...

Procedures for the deprotection of the 2-nitro-and 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonamides to give the corresponding primary amines were developed. The 2-Nitrobenzenesulfonyl group was effectively removed by HSCH 2 CH 2 OH/DBU or PhSH/Cs 2 CO 3 in DMF under mild conditions to give the corresponding primary amines in high to excellent yield. For removal of t...

Venoms of solitary wasps are utilized for prey capture (insects and spiders), paralyzing them with a stinger injection to be offered as food for their larvae. Thus, the identification and characterization of the components of solitary wasp venoms can have biotechnological application. In the present study, the venom components profile of a solitary...

A series of cyclohumulanoids, i.e., tricocerapicanols A–C (1a–1c), tricoprotoilludenes A (2a) and B (3), tricosterpurol (4), and tricoilludins A–C (5–7) were isolated along with known violascensol (2b) and omphadiol (8) from the culture broth of Daedaleopsis tricolor, an inedible but not toxic mushroom. The structures were fully elucidated on the b...

Background: Solitary wasp venoms may be a rich source of neuroactive substances, since their venoms are used for paralyzing preys. We have been exploring bioactive constituents of solitary wasp venoms and, in this study, the component profile of the venom from a solitary scoliid wasp, Scolia decorata ventralis, was investigated through a comprehen...

Purification of small peptide components in the venoms of the solitary sphecid wasps, Sphex argentatus argentatus and Isodontia harmandi, led to the isolation of several major peptides. Analysis of MS/MS spectra by MALDI-TOF/TOF revealed the sequence of a new peptide Sa112 (EDVDHVFLRF-NH2), which is structurally very similar to leucomyosupressin (p...

Ants (Hymenoptera, Apocrita, Aculeata, Formicoidea) comprise a well-succeeded group of animals. Like bees and wasps, ants are mostly venomous, having a sting system to deliver a mixture of bioactive organic compounds and peptides. The predatory giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps belongs to the subfamily Ponerinae that includes one of the largest known...

Arthropods comprise a predominant and well-succeeded phylum of the animal kingdom that evolved and diversified in millions of species grouped in four subphyla, namely, Chelicerata (arachnids), Crustacea, Myriapoda (centipedes), and Hexapoda (insects) [...]

Ants (Hymenoptera, Apocrita, Aculeata, Formicoidea) comprise a well-succeeded group of animals. Like bees and wasps, ants are mostly venomous, having a sting system to deliver a mixture of bioactive organic compounds and peptides. The predatory giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps belongs to the subfamily Ponerinae that include one of the largest known...

In this work, we evaluate the effect of two peptides Sa12b (EDVDHVFLRF) and Sh5b (DVDHVFLRF-NH2) on Acid-Sensing Ion Channels (ASIC). These peptides were purified from the venom of solitary wasps Sphex argentatus argentatus and Isodontia harmandi, respectively. Voltage clamp recordings of ASIC currents were performed in whole cell configuration in...

Solitary wasps use their stinging venoms for paralyzing insect or spider prey and feeding them to their larvae. We have surveyed bioactive substances in solitary wasp venoms, and found antimicrobial peptides together with some other bioactive peptides. Eumenine mastoparan-AF (EMP-AF) was the first to be found from the venom of the solitary eumenine...

Purpose A simple and high-throughput analytical method for determining clitidine in Paralepistopsis acromelalga using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was established. Methods To determine clitidine in the mushrooms, a simple procedure including dilution with methanol solution and filtering by cartr...

Comprehensive LC-MS and MS/MS analysis of the crude venom extract from the solitary eumenine wasp Eumenes micado revealed the component profile of this venom mostly consisted of small peptides. The major peptide components, eumenine mastoparan-EM1 (EMP-EM1: LKLMGIVKKVLGAL-NH2) and eumenine mastoparan-EM2 (EMP-EM2: LKLLGIVKKVLGAI-NH2), were purified...

The novel trichothecene 12-deoxytrichodermin (3) was isolated from the fungus Trichoderma sp. 1212-03, and included with other known natural trichothecenes in a structure-activity relationship investigation against a human colon cancer cell line (COLO201) and filamentous fungus Cochliobolus miyabeanus. This revealed that the 12-epoxide functionalit...

We previously identified 92 toxin-like peptides and proteins, including pilosulin-like peptides 1–6 from the predatory ant Odontomachus monticola, by transcriptome analysis. Here, to further characterize venom components, we analyzed the venom and venom sac extract by ESI-MS/MS with or without trypsin digestion and reducing agent. As the low-molecu...

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain 83 is a bacterium isolated from mango phyllosphere effective to control anthracnose in various tropical crops. The antifungal activity of bacillomycin D homologues, produced by this strain, against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was characterized in this study. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC100) of bacillomy...

Food poisoning caused by natural toxins, especially poisonous plants, is characterized by severe symptoms and a relatively high mortality rate. Therefore, rapid and accurate identification of the causative agent is extremely important. From plant toxin food poisoning data published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan from 1989 to...

Bunodosine 391 (BDS 391), a low molecular weight compound isolated from the sea anemone Bunodosoma cangicum, increases the nociceptive threshold and inhibits inflammatory hyperalgesia. Serotonin receptors are involved in those effects. In this study, we have expanded the characterization of the antinociceptive effect of BDS 391 demonstrating that,...

Background: Among the hymenopteran insect venoms, those from social wasps and bees - such as honeybee, hornets and paper wasps - have been well documented. Their venoms are composed of a number of peptides and proteins and used for defending their nests and themselves from predators. In contrast, the venoms of solitary wasps and bees have not been...

Cicada slough is one of the traditional crude drugs in East Asia. A comprehensive LC-MS analysis was conducted to overview constituents in a commercially purchased cicada slough as a crude drug. It revealed that there were oligomers of N-acetyldopamine with the degree of polymerization of up to 8. Highresolution tandem mass spectrometry could enabl...

Ants (hymenoptera: Formicidae) have adapted to many different environments and have become some of the most prolific and successful insects. To date, 13,258 ant species have been reported. They have been classified into 333 genera and 17 subfamilies. Except for a few Formicinae, Dolichoderinae, and members of other subfamilies, most ant species hav...

Crataegusins A (1) and B (2), new flavanocoumarins, were isolated from the crude drug Crataegus Fructus, i.e., the dried fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida var. major. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods. They were unique in terms of carrying a 3-(or 4-)substituted coumarin substructure while a flavanocoumarin generally does not...

The flowers of safflowers (Carthamus tinctorius L.) are very important as they are the sole source of their distinct pigments, i.e. carthamus-red and -yellows, and have historically had strong connections to the cultural side of human activities such as natural dyes, rouge, and traditional medicines. The distinct pigments are quinochalcone C-glucos...

Solitary wasps paralyze insects or spiders with stinging venom and feed the paralyzed preys to their larva. Accordingly, the venoms should contain a variety of constituents acting on nervous systems. However, only a few solitary wasp venoms have been chemically studied despite thousands of species inhabiting the planet. We have surveyed bioactive s...

The use of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) revealed the localization of a-solanine and a-chaconine as natural toxins for Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L. ). The content of Potato glycoalkaloids, a-solanine and a-chaconine, were quantitatively determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-based...

Although axonal extension to reconstruct spinal tracts should be effective for restoring function after spinal cord injury (SCI), chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) levels increase at spinal cord lesion sites, and inhibit axonal regrowth. In this study, we found that the water extract of roots of Sophora flavescens extended the axons of mouse...

Axonal regeneration might contribute to the restoration of damaged neuronal networks and improvement of memory deficits in a murine Alzheimer's disease (AD) model. A search for axonal regenerative drugs was performed to discover novel therapeutic options for AD. In this study, an aqueous extract of Drynaria fortunei rhizomes reversed Aβ25-35-induce...

NAD biosynthesis is of substantial interest because of its important roles in regulating various biological processes. Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 3 (Nmnat3) is considered a mitochondria-localized NAD synthesis enzyme involved in de novo and salvage pathways. Although the biochemical properties of Nmnat3 are well documented, its...

Two people out of three who accidentally ate boiled aconite leaves died in 2012. This was a typical case of aconite poisoning in Japan: Aconite (Aconitum spp.) was mistakenly collected instead of Anemone flaccida, an edible wild plant. The leaves of these plants are quite similar to each other. Chemical analyses of the aconite plant left at the sce...

Conus venoms are rich sources of biologically active peptides that act specifically on ionic channels and metabotropic receptors present at the neuromuscular junction, efficiently paralyzing the prey. Each species of Conus may have 50 to 200 uncharacterized bioactive peptides with pharmacological interest. Conus regius is a vermivorous species that...

The accompanying figures and tables provide information that subside the results presented in the main text. These data consist of one CLUSTALW alignment of all deposited α-conotoxins, one explanatory table with the toxin description and organism of origin and the resulting molecular phylogenetic tree built (by MEGA) on the alignment data. This tre...

A toxic protein, dubbed molybdophyllysin, was isolated from the tropical toadstool Chlorophyllum molybdites by following its lethal effect in mice. Analysis of the protein using SDS-PAGE revealed a single 23-kDa band. Sequence analysis of molybdophyllysin tryptic fragments showed that this protein is highly homologous to metalloendopeptidases (MEPs...

Thus, C. Kairane and colleagues, from Estonia (Faculty of Medicine of University of Tartu), have examined the influence of the replacement of γ-Glu moiety to α-Glu in two gluthatione- (GSH-) related tetrapeptides UPF1 (Tyr (Me)-γ-Glu-Cys-Gly) and UPF17 (Tyr (Me)-α-Glu-Cys-Gly) in the antioxidative defense system in a human erythroleukemia K562 cell...

Plipastatin A1 and fengycin IX had been considered as diastereomers due to the permutation of the enantiomeric pair of Tyr in most papers. We succeeded in proving experimentally that these are identical compounds, although their ¹H NMR spectral data were reported to be considerably different each other. The ¹H NMR spectrum of a depsipeptide from Ba...

Sea anemones are known as a rich source of protein and peptide toxins. In contrast, however, only little is known about the non-peptidic, small molecules in the sea anemones. We have been searching for small molecule toxins in the venom of the Brazilian sea anemone, Bunodosoma cangicum, which has led to the isolation of new acylamino acids, bunodos...

Plipastatin A1 and fengycin IX were experimentally proven to be identical compounds, while these had been considered as diastereomers due to the permutation of the enantiomeric pair of Tyr in most papers. The (1)H NMR spectrum changed to become quite similar to that of plipastatin A1, when the sample which provided resembled spectrum of fengycin IX...

Crotalphine, a 14 amino acid peptide first isolated from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, induces a peripheral long-lasting and opioid receptor-mediated antinociceptive effect in a rat model of neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve. In the present study, we further characteriz...

Sea anemones are known to contain a wide diversity of biologically active peptides, mostly unexplored according to recent peptidomic and transcriptomic studies. In the present work, the neurotoxic fractions from the exudates of Stichodactyla helianthus and Bunodosoma granulifera were analyzed by reversed-phase chromatography and mass spectrometry....

Four novel peptides were isolated from the venoms of the solitary eumenine wasps Eumenes rubrofemoratus and Eumenes fraterculus. Their sequences were determined by MALDI-TOF/TOF (matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry) analysis, Edman degradation and solid-phase synthesis. Two of them, eumenitin-R (LNLKGLIKKVAS...

A new acylamino acid, bunodosine 391 (BDS 391), was isolated from the venom of the sea anemone Bunodosoma cangicum. The structure was elucidated by spectroscopic analyses (2D NMR, ESIMS/MS) and verified by its synthesis. Intraplantar injection of BDS 391 into the hind paw of a rat induced a potent analgesic effect. This effect was not altered by na...

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Envenoming by the contact of human skin with Lonomia obliqua caterpillars promotes a hemorrhagic syndrome characterized by a consumptive coagulopathy. Losac (Lonomia obliqua Stuart factor activator) is a component of the bristle of L. obliqua that is probably partially responsible for the observed syndrome because it activates factor X and is recog...

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Procedures for the deprotection of the 2-nitro- and 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonamides to give the corresponding primary amines were developed. The 2-Nitrobenzenesulfonyl group was effectively removed by HSCH2CH2OH/DBU or PhSH/Cs2CO3 in DMF under mild conditions to give the corresponding primary amines in high to excellent yield. For removal of the 2,4...

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

The first synthesis of the title compound 4, a novel analog of 1α-hydroxyvitamin D (α-calcidiol) that might be therapeutically useful, is described. A key feature in the synthesis is the radical deoxygenation of the diol 21, which was prepared according to the previously reported procedure starting from 17. The resulting deoxygenated product 22 wit...

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

While evaluating several laboratory-cultured cyanobacteria strains for the presence of paralytic shellfish poison neurotoxins, the hydrophilic extract of Microcystis aeruginosa strain SPC777—isolated from Billings’s reservoir, São Paulo, Brazil—was found to exhibit lethal neurotoxic effect in mouse bioassay. The in vivo test showed symptoms that un...

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Pompilidotoxins (PMTXs, alpha and beta) are small peptides consisting of 13 amino acids purified from the venom of the solitary wasps Anoplius samariensis (alpha-PMTX) and Batozonellus maculifrons (beta-PMTX). They are known to facilitate synaptic transmission in the lobster neuromuscular junction, and to slow sodium channel inactivation. By using...

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Bradykinin (BK) and its related peptides are widely distributed in venomous animals, including wasps. In fact, we have previously purified a novel BK-related peptide (BRP) named Cd-146 and the threonine(6)-bradykinin (Thr(6)-BK) from the venom of the solitary wasp Cyphononyx fulvognathus. Further survey of this same wasp venom extract allowed the s...

Antimicrobial peptides are components of innate immunity that is the first-line defense against invading pathogens for a wide range of organisms. Here, we describe the isolation, biological characterization and amino acid sequencing of a novel neutral Glycine/Leucine-rich antimicrobial peptide from skin secretion of Leptodactylus pentadactylus name...

Amphibian skin secretions are a source of potential new drugs with medical and biotechnological applications. Rich in peptides produced by holocrine-type serous glands in the integument, these secretions play different roles, either in the regulation of physiological skin functions or in the defense against predators or microorganisms. The aim of t...

Reports of cyanobacterial blooms developing worldwide have considerably increased, and, in most cases, the predominant toxins are microcystins. The present study reports a cyanobacterial bloom in Lake Violão, Torres, Rio Grande do Sul State, in January 2005. Samples collected on January 13, 2005, were submitted to taxonomical, toxicological, and ch...

Neuropathic pain is an important clinical problem and it is usually resistant to the current therapy. We have recently characterized a novel analgesic peptide, crotalphine, from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus. In the present work, the antinociceptive effect of crotalphine was evaluated in an experimental mo...

Reports of cyanobacterial blooms developing worldwide have considerably increased, and, in most cases, the predominant toxins are microcystins. The present study reports a cyanobacterial bloom in Lake Violão, Torres, Rio Grande do Sul State, in January 2005. Samples collected on January 13, 2005, were submitted to taxonomical, toxicological, and ch...

In contrast to the many studies on the venoms of scorpions, spiders, snakes and cone snails, up to now there has been no report of the proteomic analysis of sea anemones venoms. In this work we report for the first time the peptide mass fingerprint and some novel peptides in the neurotoxic fraction (Fr III) of the sea anemone Bunodosoma cangicum ve...

BPPs have been identified in the venom of the Bothrops jararaca snake, or deduced from precursor proteins expressed either in the venom gland or in the brain of the snake. Their potentiating activity on bradykinin (Bk) is assumed to occur through a somatic angiotensin-converting enzyme (sACE) inhibitory mechanism. We have demonstrated that syntheti...

Sodium channel toxins from sea anemones are employed as tools for dissecting the biophysical properties of inactivation in voltage-gated sodium channels. Cangitoxin (CGTX) is a peptide containing 48 amino acid residues and was formerly purified from Bunodosoma cangicum. Nevertheless, previous works reporting the isolation procedures for such peptid...

The first naturally occurring angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors described are pyroglutamyl proline-rich oligopeptides, found in the venom of the viper Bothrops jararaca, and named as bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs). Biochemical and pharmacological properties of these peptides were essential for the development of Captopril, the...

Anoplin, an antimicrobial, helical decapeptide from wasp venom, looses its biological activities by mere deamidation of its C-terminus. Secondary structure determination, by circular dichroism spectroscopy in amphipathic environments, and lytic activity in zwitterionic and anionic vesicles showed quite similar results for the amidated and the carbo...

We have shown that the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus induces a long-lasting antinociceptive effect mediated by activation of kappa- and delta-opioid receptors. Despite being mediated by opioid receptors, prolonged treatment with the crotalid venom does not cause the development of peripheral tolerance or absti...

Characterization of the peptide content of venoms has a number of potential benefits for basic research, clinical diagnosis, development of new therapeutic agents, and production of antiserum. Here, we use a substrate-capture assay that employs a catalytically inactive mutant of thimet oligopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.15; EP24.15) to identify novel bioact...

Eumenitin, a novel cationic antimicrobial peptide from the venom of solitary wasp Eumenes rubronotatus, was characterized by its effects on black lipid membranes of negatively charged (azolectin) and zwitterionic (1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPhPC) or DPhPC-cholesterol) phospholipids: surface potential changes, single-channel activ...

The snake venom proline-rich peptide BPP 10c is an active somatic angiotensin-converting enzyme (sACE) inhibitors. Recently we demonstrated that the anti-hypertensive effect of BPP 10c is not related to the inhibition of sACE alone, thus suggesting that this enzyme is not its only target for blood pressure reduction. In the present work, a biodistr...

A novel peptide, decoralin, was isolated from the venom of the solitary eumenine wasp Oreumenes decoratus. Its sequence, Ser-Leu-Leu-Ser-Leu-Ile-Arg-Lys-Leu-Ile-Thr, was determined by Edman degradation and corroborated by solid-phase synthesis. This sequence has the characteristic features of linear cationic alpha-helical peptides; rich in hydropho...

Aiming to extend the knowledge about the diversity of bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs) and their precursor proteins, a venom gland cDNA library from the South American rattlesnake (Crotalus dursissus terrificus, Cdt) was screened. Two novel homologous cDNAs encoding the BPPs precursor protein were cloned. Their sequence contain only one sing...

Transduction of the retroviral vector LBmSN, which expresses the blasticidin S resistance gene bsrm in the murine keratinocyte cell line BALB/MK, induces death in these cells. Cell death is caused by a factor called DOKEB (death factor obtained from keratinocytes expressing bsrm), which is released before the cells' death. In this report we describ...

A toxic protein, called bolevenine, was isolated from the toxic mushroom Boletus venenatus based on its lethal effects on mice. On SDS-PAGE, in either the presence or absence of 2-mercaptoethanol, this protein showed a single band of approximately 12 kDa. In contrast, based on gel filtration and MALDI-TOFMS, its relative molecular mass was estimate...

Bradykinin potentiating peptides (BPPs) from Bothrops jararaca venom were first described in the middle of 1960s and were the first natural inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). BPPs present a classical motif and can be recognized by their typical pyroglutamyl (Pyr)/proline rich sequences presenting, invariably, a proline residue a...