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Electro-Optical Properties Characterization of Fish Type III Antifreeze Protein

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Abstract

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are ice-binding proteins that depress the freezing point of water in a non-colligative manner without a significant modification of the melting point. Found in the blood and tissues of some organisms (such as fish, insects, plants, and soil bacteria), AFPs play an important role in subzero temperature survival. Fish Type III AFP is present in members of the subclass Zoarcoidei. AFPIII are small 7-kDa—or 14-kDa tandem—globular proteins. In the present work, we study the behavior of several physical properties, such as the low-frequency dielectric permittivity spectrum, circular dichroism, and electrical conductivity of Fish Type III AFP solutions measured at different concentrations. The combination of the information obtained from these measurements could be explained through the formation of AFP molecular aggregates or, alternatively, by the existence of some other type of interparticle interactions. Thermal stability and electro-optical behavior, when proteins are dissolved in deuterated water, were also investigated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos (IFLYSIB), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, c.c. 565, 1900BTE, La Plata, Argentina

    Andrés G. Salvay & Eduardo I. Howard

  2. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, R. Saenz Peña 352, 1876XD, Bernal, Argentina

    Andrés G. Salvay & Javier Santos

  3. Department of Biological Chemistry and Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IQUIFIB), School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Junín 956, 1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Javier Santos

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  1. Andrés G. Salvay
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  2. Javier Santos
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  3. Eduardo I. Howard
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Correspondence to Eduardo I. Howard.

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Salvay, A.G., Santos, J. & Howard, E.I. Electro-Optical Properties Characterization of Fish Type III Antifreeze Protein. J Biol Phys 33, 389–397 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-008-9080-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-008-9080-5

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