Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 113, Issue 51, Pages 14739-14744Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1614379114
Keywords
antifreeze proteins; ice nucleation; Janus effect; interfacial water; selective tethering
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [51436004, 21421061, 11290164, 11204341, U1532260]
- Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) [XDA09020000]
- 973 Program [2013CB933800]
- Key Research Program of CAS [KJZD-EW-M03]
- Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS
- Shanghai Supercomputer Center of China
- Computer Network Information Center of CAS
- National Supercomputing Center in Shenzhen (Shenzhen Cloud Computing Center)
- Special Program for Applied Research on Super Computation of the NSFC-Guangdong Joint Fund
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The mechanism of ice nucleation at the molecular level remains largely unknown. Nature endows antifreeze proteins (AFPs) with the unique capability of controlling ice formation. However, the effect of AFPs on ice nucleation has been under debate. Here we report the observation of both depression and promotion effects of AFPs on ice nucleation via selectively binding the ice-binding face (IBF) and the non-ice-binding face (NIBF) of AFPs to solid substrates. Freezing temperature and delay time assays show that ice nucleation is depressed with the NIBF exposed to liquid water, whereas ice nucleation is facilitated with the IBF exposed to liquid water. The generality of this Janus effect is verified by investigating three representative AFPs. Molecular dynamics simulation analysis shows that the Janus effect can be established by the distinct structures of the hydration layer around IBF and NIBF. Our work greatly enhances the understanding of the mechanism of AFPs at the molecular level and brings insights to the fundamentals of heterogeneous ice nucleation.
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