4.5 Article

An insect antifreeze protein from Anatolica polita enhances the cryoprotection of Xenopus laevis eggs and embryos

Journal

JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
Volume 225, Issue 4, Pages -

Publisher

COMPANY BIOLOGISTS LTD
DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243662

Keywords

Antifreeze protein; Cryoprotection; Xenopus laevis; Eggs; Embryos

Categories

Funding

  1. National Science Foundation [CHE-1740399, CHE-1413696, DGE-0948027]
  2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration EPSCoR program [80NSSC18M0034]
  3. Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium (NASA) [NNX10A095H]
  4. National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health [GM135903, P20GM103432, R35GM134885]

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Cryoprotection is important in various research fields. Antifreeze proteins, as an evolutionary adaptation, can provide cryoprotection to certain organisms. By investigating the effects of an antifreeze protein from the desert beetle in Xenopus laevis, it was found to reduce damage and increase survival.
Cryoprotection is of interest in many fields of research, necessitating a greater understanding of different cryoprotective agents. Antifreeze proteins have been identified that have the ability to confer cryoprotection in certain organisms. Antifreeze proteins are an evolutionary adaptation that contributes to the freeze resistance of certain fish, insects, bacteria and plants. These proteins adsorb to an ice crystal's surface and restrict its growth within a certain temperature range. We investigated the ability of an antifreeze protein from the desert beetle Anatolica polita, ApAFP752, to confer cryoprotection in the frog Xenopus laevis. Xenopus laevis eggs and embryos microinjected with ApAFP752 exhibited reduced damage and increased survival after a freeze-thaw cycle in a concentration-dependent manner. We also demonstrate that ApAFP752 localizes to the plasma membrane in eggs and embryonic blastomeres and is not toxic for early development. These studies show the potential of an insect antifreeze protein to confer cryoprotection in amphibian eggs and embryos.

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