Find a protein using PDB explorer-describe your protein, including what disease state or other real world application it has.

Find a protein using PDB explorer-describe your protein, including what disease state or other real world application it has.

 Anti-freeze Proteins

Picture from (http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/101/motm.do?momID=120)

          Anti-freeze proteins are proteins that naturally occur in certain organisms that live in harsh cold climates. When subjected to below freezing conditions an organisms water within its cells will form small ice crystals that will grow larger and larger until it ruptures the cell. Eventually this would lead to death of the organisms. Some adapted organisms like the ocean pout, the winter flounder, the yellow meal-worm beetle, the spruce bud-worm moth and the snow flea have what are called antifreeze proteins. These proteins attach themselves to the small growing ice crystals and slow down if not completely stop the growth of them. It does this by lowering the freezing point  of the water in the cells about 6 degrees which effectively halts the crystals from rupturing the cell thus preserving the organisms health. 

          These proteins have been harvested and used in other applications. For instance anti-freeze proteins have been used in ice cream to keep it from that unpleasant icing which ruins the ice cream. Just as it does in the cells it attaches to any freezing moisture and stops growth by lowering the freezing point. Another thing that is interesting about these proteins is that they lower the freezing point but they do not lower the melting point which normally goes hand in hand with freezing point.

 Sources:

Goodsell, D. (n.d.). Antifreeze Proteins. Retrieved from RCSB PDB-101 database.

 http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/101/motm.do?momID=120