July 25, 2008
Weekly News UpdateScientists Produce Synthetic "Antifreeze Protein"
Scientists based at the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania have developed a method of making a synthetic version of an "antifreeze protein" found in Canadian snow fleas. This protein allows snow fleas to survive sub-zero wintertime temperatures. Antifreeze proteins work by binding to small ice crystals, preventing the ice from recrystallizing. It is also thought that antifreeze proteins protect mammalian cell membranes from cold damage.
Deciphering the molecular structure of the snow flea antifreeze protein (sfAFP) took scientists several years. Once they solved the puzzle of the protein's molecular structure, scientists were able to produce large quantities of the protein. (Snow fleas only contain a tiny amount of the antifreeze protein in their bodies.)
The researchers were able to show that the synthetic sfAFP they made in the lab exhibited the same activities as the natural protein. In addition to making an exact copy of the sfAFP, the researchers also made several variations of the original protein. One variation was a mirror image of the normal sfAFP. The scientists' research indicates that the mirror-image sfAFP may be more resistant to natural enzymes and also may be less likely to trigger destructive antibodies. These two characteristics may make the protein useful in organ and tissue preservation, helping to lengthen the storage life of donor organs and tissues for human transplantation.