To determine differential gene expression profiles in the venom gland and sac (gland/sac) of a solitary hunting wasp species, Eumenes pomiformis Fabricius (1781), a subtractive cDNA library was constructed by suppression subtractive hybridization. A total of 541 expressed sequence tags (EST) were clustered and assembled into 102 contigs. In total, 37 genes were found from the library by BLASTx search and manual analysis. A eumenitin-like venom peptide, EpVP1, occupied ca. 26% of the library. A novel venom peptide, EpDTX, shared sequence similarity with trypsin inhibitors and dendrotoxin-like venom peptides known as K+ channel blockers, implying it could be responsible for the paralysis of prey. As well as phospholipase A2 and hyaluronidase known to be main components of wasp venoms, several contigs encoding enzymes, including metalloendopeptidases and a decarboxylase likely involved in the processing and activation of venomous proteins, peptides, and neurotransmitters, were also isolated from the library. The presence of a gene encoding insulin-like growth factor binding protein suggests that solitary hunting wasps might control the prey to stay in larval stage by their venom. The abundance of these venom components in the venom gland/sac and alimentary canal was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR.

Three venom peptides, OdVP1, OdVP2, and OdVP3 were isolated from the venom of the solitary wasp Orancistrocerus drewseni (Hymenoptera: Eumenidae). The venom peptide amino acid sequences were determined by Q-TOF/MS/MS. The OdVP1, 2, and 3 with amidated C-terminals showed similar peptide sequences to the mastoparan from Vespula lewisii or the protonectin from Protonectarina sylveirae, suggesting that they adopt an amphipathic α-helix secondary structure. The amidation of C-terminal Leu of the venom peptides have been known to be required for their biological activities. The full-length open reading frame (ORF) sequences of the OdVP1, 2, and 3 were analyzed by 5’- and 3’-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The overall gene structure of OdVPs showed a high homology to that of mastoparan B from Vespa basalis by containing signal sequence, prosequence, mature peptide and C-terminal glycine, but the mature peptide sequences were distinct from each other. The toxicological property and antimicrobial activity of OdVPs were characterized using synthetic peptides. This study on the venom peptides from O. drewseni should promote further studies on bioactive ingredients in the venom of solitary hunting wasps.

호리병벌과를 이용한 생물학적 환경평가 기법을 개발하기 위하여 농업지역 등 충 13개 지역에 대통트랩(nest trap)을 설치한 후 채집된 호리병벌과의 벌류를 분류 동정하고, 채집지의 환경에 따른 서식밀도를 분석하여 환경평가를 위한 유망종을 선발하였다. 시험기간 동안 총 7종이 채집되었으며, 그 중 황슭감탕벌(A. flavomarginatum Smith)이 우점종으로 나타났다. 호리병벌과에 속하는 종들의 영소수는 농업지역의 경우 무비무농약재배지에서 12.8개/m로 관행농업지의 7.2개/m에 비해 많았으며, 자연녹지의 경우 녹지지역(자연녹지도: 4.28)의 경우 13.4개/m로 상업지역(자연녹지도: 1.00, 1.2개/m)에 비해 많았다. 또한 영소수가 많은 지역일수록 종 풍부도 및 다양도 지수는 높게 나타났다. 한편, 농업농촌 생태계 등 자연환경평가 지표중으로 황슭감탕벌, 줄무의감방벌, 먹조롱박벌, 왕가위벌등 4종을 선발하였으며, 이들 종의 출현수 및 총 영소수, 종 다양도 등을 지표로 한 환경등급기준( 등급)을 설정하였다.