Structural-functional characterization of a hyperactive antifreeze protein

有了这个奖项，化学部门的生命过程化学项目资助了怀俄明大学的Krisztina Varga博士和Daniel Levy博士对一种过度活跃的昆虫抗冻蛋白的结构和功能特征的研究。抗冻蛋白是在一些生活在寒冷气候中的生物体中产生的，并有助于它们抵抗冻结。它们与冰晶表面不可逆地结合并抑制其生长，然而，在分子水平上的确切机制尚不完全清楚。研究人员将确定抗冻蛋白的结构，检查其水结合特性，并研究其在活细胞中的冷冻抑制机制。这项研究的结果将为我们更好地理解抗冻蛋白与冰相互作用的分子过程特征提供基础知识，并扩展其实际应用，例如，在保护食品免受冷冻损害方面。该项目将产生更广泛的影响，为未被充分代表的研究生和本科生群体提供参与科学研究的机会，其中许多人是来自农村地区的第一代大学生。该项目将纳入社区大学、高中和小学学生的外展计划。本研究将探讨高活性昆虫抗冻蛋白ApAFP752的结构及其作用机制。这项研究将更好地了解抗冻蛋白如何与冰相互作用，并为生活在寒冷环境中的生物提供低温保护。这些方法是综合的，结合了生物化学、核磁共振光谱学和共聚焦显微镜的体外和体内研究，并将利用这些领域研究人员的专业知识的协同作用。本研究项目将：(1)通过核磁共振光谱对抗冻蛋白进行结构表征；(2)探索其水结合特性和相互作用（如氢键）；(3)研究其在爪蟾活细胞中的冷冻保护机制。综合的方法将为低温保存的潜在分子机制提供独特的见解。该项目由刺激竞争研究实验计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。

With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division is funding the research of Dr. Krisztina Varga and Dr. Daniel Levy from the University of Wyoming to structurally and functionally characterize a hyperactive insect antifreeze protein. Antifreeze proteins are produced in several organisms that live in cold climates and contribute to their resistance to freezing. They bind irreversibly to the surface of ice crystals and inhibit their growth, however, the exact mechanism at the molecular level is not fully understood. The investigators will determine the structure of the antifreeze protein, examine its water binding properties, and investigate its mechanism of freeze inhibition in live cells. The results of this research will provide a better fundamental understanding of molecular processes characteristic of antifreeze proteins interacting with ice and expand their practical applications, for example, in protecting foods from damage by freezing. The project will have a broader impact by providing opportunities for underrepresented groups of graduate and undergraduate students to participate in scientific research, many of them being first generation university students from rural areas. The project will be integrated into outreach programs for community college, high school and grade school students.This research will probe the structure and mechanism of action of the hyperactive insect antifreeze protein ApAFP752. The research will provide a better understanding of how antifreeze proteins interact with ice and provide cryoprotection to organisms that live in cold environments. The approaches are comprehensive and combine biochemistry, NMR spectroscopy, and confocal microscopy for both in vitro and in vivo studies and will utilize the synergy of the expertise of the investigators in these areas. This research project will be undertaken to (1) structurally characterize the antifreeze protein by NMR spectroscopy, (2) explore its water binding properties and interactions (e.g. hydrogen bonding), and (3) investigate its cryoprotective mechanism in Xenopus live cells. The comprehensive approach will provide unique insights into the underlying molecular mechanism of cryopreservation.This project is co-funded by the Experimental Program for the Stimulation of Competitive Research (EPSCoR).