Antifreeze protein-induced superheating of ice inside Antarctic notothenioid fishes inhibits melting during summer warming

Antarctic notothenioid fishes are protected from freezing by antifreeze proteins (AFPs) that bind to invading ice crystals and inhibit their growth. Paradoxically, accumulation of AFP-stabilized ice could be lethal. Whether and how fishes eliminate internal ice is unknown; one hypothesis is that it...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Main Authors: Cziko, Paul A., DeVries, Arthur L., Evans, Clive W., Cheng, Chi-Hing Christina
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: National Academy of Sciences 2014
Subjects:
Biological Sciences
Antarctic
Antarc*
Online Access:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4209995
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25246548
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1410256111
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Summary:Antarctic notothenioid fishes are protected from freezing by antifreeze proteins (AFPs) that bind to invading ice crystals and inhibit their growth. Paradoxically, accumulation of AFP-stabilized ice could be lethal. Whether and how fishes eliminate internal ice is unknown; one hypothesis is that it melts during summer warming episodes. However, prior in vitro evidence indicates that AFPs also inhibit melting. Our study establishes that pronounced melting inhibition occurs in vivo (i.e., superheated ice occurs inside notothenioid fishes). Our long-term temperature record of a high-latitude Antarctic fish habitat indicates that summer warming does not overcome AFP-induced superheating to reliably rid fishes of ice. Evolution of the life-saving AFPs exacts a cost: the risk of lifelong accumulation of damaging internal ice crystals.

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