Structure Homology Modeling of Thaumetopoein, an Urticating Protein from Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff, Using SWISS-MODEL Workspace

Background Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff., or pine caterpillar, is a “phenomenal” insect. The term comes from the Greek cámpa (caterpillar), pítys (pine), poieo (does), tháuma (wonders) [1]. When developing larvae, is taking place on the back of the caterpillar pine processionary, a producer apparatus urticating hairs, protectors caterpillars [2]. These hairs of the pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff.) causes dermatological reactions in humans by contact with its irritating larvae hairs known as erucism, the pathogenic effects are not limited to the skin but extend to the eyes and, more rarely, to the respiratory system [1,3]. A various techniques demonstrated the existence of a specific protein fraction in caterpillar hairs which has urticating properties and which we have called thaumetopoein [3-5]. The structure and properties of this protein have not been fully elucidated, knowing that Rodriguez-Mahillo et al. have published in 2012 the protein sequence in under NCBI ID: CCJ09295 and EMBL EBI ID: HE962022. In this study, we are trying using bioinformatics and modeling tools to give a prediction model of thaumetopoein structure and its properties. Materials and Methods