Melittin synthesis in the venom system of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.).

The amount of melittin (measured by a direct hemolytic assay) contained in the venom system of single honey bees (Apis mellifera), of known age, increases from the time of eclosion to an age of about 4 weeks when about 500 micrograms of melittin is present. In older bees (5-6 weeks) the melittin level falls to about 250 micrograms. Measurements of the incorporation of [3H]leucine (injected into the haemolymph) into melittin show that melittin synthesis is most active in bees aged between 1 and 2 weeks after eclosion. The melittin content of the venom system changes as the summer progresses. Melittin levels in a bee of any age greater than 1 week are lower in mid-August than in a bee of the same age in early June.