A bacterial ice-binding protein from the Vostok ice core.
Bacterial and yeast isolates recovered from a deep Antarctic ice core were screened for proteins with ice-binding activity, an indicator of adaptation to icy environments. A bacterial strain recovered from glacial ice at a depth of 3,519 m, just above the accreted ice from Subglacial Lake Vostok, was found to produce a 54 kDa ice-binding protein (GenBank EU694412) that is similar to ice-binding proteins previously found in sea ice diatoms, a snow mold, and a sea ice bacterium. The protein has the ability to inhibit the recrystallization of ice, a phenotype that has clear advantages for survival in ice.
Raymond
James A
JA
School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA. raymond@unlv.nevada.edu
Christner
Brent C
BC
Schuster
Stephan C
SC
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D003589:Cytophaga / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007053:Ice / Q000032:analysis*; D046448:Ice Cover; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D020592:Shewanella / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D007053:Ice; D011994:Recombinant Proteins