Bee Melittin Recombinant Protein

Melittin is the main component (40-60% of the dry weight) and the major pain-producing substance of honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom. The principal function of melittin as a component of bee venom is to cause pain and destruction of tissue of intruders that threaten a beehive. However, in honey bees, melittin is not only expressed in the venom gland, but also in other tissues when infected with pathogens. The two venom molecules, melittin and secapin, that are over-expressed in honey bees infected with various pathogens, possibly indicate a role for melittin in the immune response of bees to infectious diseases.