Allergens in hymenoptera venoms. X. Vespid venoms versus venom sac extracts: comparison by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Vespid venoms were compared to venom sac extracts by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using non-equilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis in the first dimension and sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis in the second. The gels were stained with silver. Fresh venoms from four species, Vespula maculifrons, Polistes fuscatus fuscatus, P. metricus and P. exclamans, were compared with commercially available venom sac extracts from the same species. In each case the venom sac extract contained all of the proteins detected in the fresh venom plus numerous additional proteins which are probably sac components. Yellow jacket and bee (Apis mellifera) proteins were extracted from the gels and tested for IgE binding activity using pooled sera from RAST-positive individuals. Significant IgE binding activity was found for the five known bee allergens and for the major yellow jacket venom proteins. Fresh pure vespid venoms contain a relatively small number of major protein subunits. Venom sac extracts contain the same components plus many other proteins not found in the pure venoms.