The Role of Antifreeze Proteins in Freezing Avoidance of Antarctic Fishes

南极鱼类生活在常年处于体液冰点的水域。如果这些鱼没有进化出生物防冻剂分子以避免结冰，这些水域将没有鱼。南极鱼类防冻剂的进化方面具有相当大的科学价值。阿瑟·德弗里斯博士早在三十多年前就开始了对南极鱼类防冻剂的研究，并系统地研究了防冻剂使整个动物避免受冻的机制。这项研究项目将继续研究南极鱼类如何通过检测参与耐寒的生理和机制过程来进化抗冻剂。生理学研究包括防冻剂的合成和控制合成、分泌、液体和组织运输的因素，以及防冻剂的保存。机理研究的重点是了解防冻剂如何吸附到冰上并抑制冰晶体的生长。除了该项目的内在价值外，鱼类中避免结冰可能会对人类病理学、成核理论和结晶学领域产生影响。

Antarctic fish live in waters that are perennially at the freezing point of body fluids. These waters would be devoid of fish if these fish had not evolved biological antifreeze molecules to avoid freezing. The evolutionary aspects of antifreezes in Antarctic fish possess considerable scientific interest. Dr. Arthur DeVries began his studies on antifreezes in Antarctic fish over three decades ago and has systematically investigated the mechanism by which antifreezes confer freezing avoidance on the whole animal. This research project will continue the study of how antifreezes evolved in the Antarctic fishes by examining the physiological and mechanistic processes involved in freezing tolerance. Physiological studies include synthesis of antifreezes and factors that govern synthesis, secretion, fluid and tissue transport, and conservation of antifreezes. Mechanistic studies focus on understanding how antifreezes adsorb to ice and inhibit ice crystal growth. Aside from the intrinsic value of the project, freezing avoidance in fish could have implications to the fields of human pathologies, in nucleation theory, and in crystallography.