Glycine-Rich Antifreeze Proteins from Snow Fleas
Laurie A. Graham1 and
Peter L. Davies1,2*
We purified antifreeze proteins from winter-active snow fleas,
Hypogastrura harveyi. These 6.5- and 15.7-kilodalton thermolabile
proteins are glycine-rich (45% of the residues), and the short
isoform is composed of the tripeptide repeat Gly-X-X. This makes
them very different from other antifreeze proteins, including
two from insects, suggesting independent adaptation to freezing
environments.
1 Department of Biochemistry.
2 Protein Function Discovery Group, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: daviesp{at}post.queensu.ca