@article{fdi:010062503,
  title = {{V}enom toxicity and composition in three {P}seudomyrmex ant species having different nesting modes},
  author = {{T}ouchard, {A}. and {L}abriere, {N}. and {R}oux, {O}livier and {P}etitclerc, {F}. and {O}rivel, {J}. and {E}scoubas, {P}. and {K}oh, {J}. {M}. {S}. and {N}icholson, {G}. {M}. and {D}ejean, {A}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}e aimed to determine whether the nesting habits of ants have influenced their venom toxicity and composition. {W}e focused on the genus {P}seudomyrmex ({P}seudomyrmecinae) comprising terrestrial and arboreal species, and, among the latter, plant-ants that are obligate inhabitants of myrmecophytes (i.e., plants sheltering ants in hollow structures). {C}ontrary to our hypothesis, the venom of the ground-dwelling species, {P}seudomyrmex termitarius, was as efficacious in paralyzing prey as the venoms of the arboreal and the plant-ant species, {P}seudomyrmex penetrator and {P}seudomyrmex gracilis. {T}he lethal potency of {P}. termitarius venom was equipotent with that of {P}. gracilis whereas the venom of {P}. penetrator was less potent. {T}he {MALDI}-{TOF} {MS} analysis of each {HPLC} fraction of the venoms showed that {P}. termitarius venom is composed of 87 linear peptides, while both {P}. gracilis and {P}. penetrator venoms (23 and 26 peptides, respectively) possess peptides with disulfide bonds. {F}urthermore, {P}. penetrator venom contains three hetero- and homodimeric peptides consisting of two short peptidic chains linked together by two interchain disulfide bonds. {T}he large number of peptides in {P}. termitarius venom is likely related to the large diversity of potential prey plus the antibacterial peptides required for nesting in the ground. {W}hereas predation involves only the prey and predator, {P}. penetrator venom has evolved in an environment where trees, defoliating insects, browsing mammals and ants live in equilibrium, likely explaining the diversity of the peptide structures.},
  keywords = {{A}nts ; {A}nt venoms ; {A}rboreal and ground-nesting ants ; {E}volution ; {P}eptides ; {P}seudomyrmex ; {GUYANE} {FRANCAISE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{T}oxicon},
  volume = {88},
  numero = {},
  pages = {67--76},
  ISSN = {0041-0101},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.05.022},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062503},
}