title: Frostbite protection in mice expressing an antifreeze glycoprotein.
abstract: Ectotherms in northern latitudes are seasonally exposed to cold temperatures. To improve survival under cold stress, they use diverse mechanisms to increase temperature resistance and prevent tissue damage. The accumulation of anti-freeze proteins that improve cold hardiness occurs in diverse species including plants, arthropods, fish, and amphibians. We previously identified an Ixodes scapularis anti-freeze glycoprotein, named IAFGP, and demonstrated its cold protective function in the natural tick host and in a transgenic Drosophila model. Here we show, in a transgenic mouse model expressing an anti-freeze glycoprotein, that IAFGP protects mammalian cells and mice from cold shock and frostbite respectively. Transgenic skin samples showed reduced cell death upon cold storage ex vivo and transgenic mice demonstrated increased resistance to frostbite injury in vivo. IAFGP actively protects mammalian tissue from freezing, suggesting its application for the prevention of frostbite, and other diseases associated with cold exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heisig
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mattessich
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rembisz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.affiliation: Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
authors.forename: Carmen J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
authors.forename: Girish
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neelakanta
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America.
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fikrig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021301:Antifreeze Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000235:genetics; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005627:Frostbite / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
chemical_list: D021301:Antifreeze Proteins