Identification and structural analysis of a glycophospholipid component from the venom of ant Paraponera clavata

The venom of South American ant Paraponera clavata and its low-molecular-mass fraction were shown to possess insectotoxic and pore-forming activities. A number of glycophospholipid components were isolated from this ant venom by means of gel filtration and reversed-phase chromatography. Some of the compounds cause conductivity fluctuations in lipid bilayer membranes within the ranges 3–25 pS and 200–400 pS at concentrations of 10−6 to 10−7 M. N-Acetylglucosamine, a fatty acid, and phosphoric acid residues were found in their structures. A full structure, 3-myristoyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate, was elucidated for one of the compounds by the use of 1H-, 13C-, and 31P NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.