melittin

Also known as GIGAVLKVLTTGLPALISWIKRKRQQ-NH2, bee venom melittin, Honeybee melittin, Forapine, Forapin, melitten

Melittin is the main component (40–60% of the dry weight) and the major pain-producing substance of honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom. Melittin is a basic peptide consisting of 26 amino acids.

Key facts

Protein family.Symbol: Melittin
Protein family.Name: Melittin
Protein family.image: PDB 2mlt EBI.jpg
Protein family.caption: Melittin
Protein family.Pfam: PF01372
Protein family.InterPro: IPR002116
Protein family.SCOP: 2mlt
Protein family.TCDB: 1.C.18
Protein family.OPM family: 151
Protein family.OPM protein: 2mlt

via Wikipedia infobox

Chemical data

Formula: C131H229N39O31
Molecular weight: 2846.5 g/mol
IUPAC name: (2S)-2-[[(2S)-5-amino-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-6-amino-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-6-amino-2-[[(2S,3S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S,3S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-1-[(2S)-2-[[2-[[(2S,3R)-2-[[(2S,3R)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-6-amino-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[[2-[[(2S,3S)-2-[(2-aminoacetyl)amino]-3-methylpentanoyl]amino]acetyl]amino]propanoyl]amino]-3-methylbutanoyl]amino]-4-methylpentanoyl]amino]hexanoyl]amino]-3-methylbutanoyl]amino]-4-methylpentanoyl]amino]-3-hydroxybutanoyl]amino]-3-hydroxybutanoyl]amino]acetyl]amino]-4-methylpentanoyl]pyrrolidine-2-carbonyl]amino]propanoyl]amino]-4-methylpentanoyl]amino]-3-methylpentanoyl]amino]-3-hydroxypropanoyl]amino]-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanoyl]amino]-3-methylpentanoyl]amino]hexanoyl]amino]-5-carbamimidamidopentanoyl]amino]hexanoyl]amino]-5-carbamimidamidopentanoyl]amino]-5-oxopentanoyl]amino]pentanediamide
SMILES: CC[C@H](C)[C@@H](C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H](C(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N[C@@H](C(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)O)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)O)C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N1CCC[C@H]1C(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)CC)C(=O)N[C@@H](CO)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC2=CNC3=CC=CC=C32)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)CC)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)N)C(=O)N)NC(=O)CN
InChIKey: VDXZNPDIRNWWCW-JFTDCZMZSA-N
XLogP: -2.7
Polar surface area: 1150 Å²
H-bond donors: 41
H-bond acceptors: 37
Formal charge: 0

via PubChem

Research

3,399 papers

Melittin-incorporated nanomedicines for enhanced cancer immunotherapy.Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · 2024
Melittin: from honeybees to superbugs.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2019
Melittin and phospholipase A2: Promising anti-cancer candidates from bee venom.Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2024
Melittin: A promising therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology · 2025
Melittin, A Potential Game-changer in the Fight Against Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry · 2025

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Part of: apitoxin
Mass: 2845.757527

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chemical formula: C₁₃₁H₂₂₉N₃₉O₃₁
Commons category: Melittin
canonical SMILES: CCC(C)C(C(=O)NCC(=O)NC(C)C(=O)NC(C(C)C)C(=O)NC(CC(C)C)C(=O)NC(CCCCN)C(=O)NC(C(C)C)C(=O)NC(CC(C)C)C(=O)NC(C(C)O)C(=O)NC(C(C)O)C(=O)NCC(=O)NC(CC(C)C)C(=O)N1CCCC1C(=O)NC(C)C(=O)NC(CC(C)C)C(=O)NC(C(C)CC)C(=O)NC(CO)C(=O)NC(CC2=CNC3=CC=CC=C32)C(=O)NC(C(C)CC)C(=O)NC(CCCCN)C(=O)NC(CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)NC(CCCCN)C(=O)NC(CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)NC(CCC(=O)N)C(=O)NC(CCC(=O)N)C(=O)N)NC(=O)CN
found in taxon: Apis mellifera
active ingredient in: apitoxin
isomeric SMILES: CC[C@H](C)[C@H](NC(=O)CN)C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N1CCC[C@H]1C(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)N[C@@H](CO)C(=O)N[C@@H](Cc1c[nH]c2ccccc12)C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(=N)N)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(N)=O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(N)=O)C(N)=O)[C@@H](C)CC)[C@@H](C)CC)[C@@H](C)O)[C@@H](C)O)C(C)C)C(C)C

Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~3 min read

Encyclopedic overview

8 sections

Contents

Function
Structure
Mechanism of action
Toxicity of a bee sting
Use
Gallery
References
External links

Melittin is the main component (40–60% of the dry weight) and the major pain-producing substance of honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom. Melittin is a basic peptide consisting of 26 amino acids.

== Function ==

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “melittin” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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