PROTEINS IN VENOMS OF 2 WASPS, POLISTES-COMANCHUS-NAVAJOE AND VESPA-ORIENTALIS

By means of gel electrophoresis the basic proteins in venoms of P. c. navajoe and V. orientalis were resolved into 6 and 5 proteins, respectively, all of MW > 15,000. Several proteins appeared to be similar in both venoms. The main component of P. comanchus venom responsible for hemolysis was isolated, and data concerning its thermolability, MW (.apprx. 26,000) and amino acid composition show that unlike the cytolytic components of bee and ant venoms which are small peptides, the corresponding functional entity of P. comanchus venom (polistin) is a protein having the characteristics of an enzyme.