Immediate allergic reactions to Myrmecia ant stings: immunochemical analysis of Myrmecia venoms.

IgE antibody reactivities to the venoms of Myrmecia pilosula, Myrmecia nigrocincta, Myrmecia tarsata, Myrmecia pyriformis, Myrmecia simillima and Myrmecia gulosa have been identified in sera from subjects allergic to ant venom. Sera with IgE reactivity to only a single Myrmecia venom most often recognize M. pilosula venom although all six venoms appear capable of inducing IgE antibodies. The six different Myrmecia venoms were electrophoretically separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Western blotted to nitrocellulose and probed with sera from ant venom-allergic subjects. Four to six IgE-binding components ranging in size from 2 to 25 kDa were identified in each of the venoms. Similarities in molecular weights of the IgE-binding components exist and close taxonomic relationships between the species suggest that common or similar peptides may be present in the different venoms.