# IDENTIFICATION AND MOLECULAR BASIS FOR EFFICIENT ANTIFREEZE PROTEIN ENHANCERS

> **NIH NIH SC3** · CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LOS ANGELES · 2020 · $109,500

## Abstract

Abstract/Summary
 Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are natural antifreeze molecules that have been found in many organisms
including fish, insects, plants, bacteria, and fungi. AFPs exhibit great structural diversity, while they are all
characterized by their unique ability to depress the freezing point of water without affecting the melting point
apparently. The resulting difference between the melting point and the freezing point, referred to as thermal
hysteresis (TH), is generally used as a measure of the antifreeze activities of AFPs. AFPs and co-solutes in
body-fluids of cold-adapted organisms are responsible for survival in cold environments. Certain small
molecule and protein co-solutes can further enhance the antifreeze activity of AFPs, referred to as enhancers,
by binding to AFP through ionic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and/or hydrophobic interactions. AFP-based
antifreeze systems (AFP plus enhancer) are much more effective and their uses are more environmentally
friendly in comparison to conventional antifreezes, making them intriguing alternatives to conventional
antifreezes in particular in biomedical fields. The proposed research will investigate the little known AFP-
protein systems through determining the cryoprotective effect of an AFP on other proteins as well as the effect
of these proteins on the antifreeze activity of the AFP using combined biochemical and biophysical methods.
The information on such interplay in the AFP-protein systems would not only further our understanding of
biological antifreeze system in cold-adapted organisms, but also lead to the development of effective protective
systems for long-term preservation of important biologics in biomedical applications.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10090202
- **Project number:** 2SC3GM086249-12
- **Recipient organization:** CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Xin Wen
- **Activity code:** SC3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $109,500
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2009-09-30 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10090202

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10090202, IDENTIFICATION AND MOLECULAR BASIS FOR EFFICIENT ANTIFREEZE PROTEIN ENHANCERS (2SC3GM086249-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10090202. Licensed CC0.

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