Expression and Partial Characterization of an Ice-Binding Protein from a Bacterium Isolated at a Depth of 3,519 m in the Vostok Ice Core, Antarctica.

ABSTRACT: Cryopreservation of microorganisms in ancient glacial ice is possible if lethal levels of macromolecular damage are not incurred and cellular integrity is not compromised via intracellular ice formation or recrystallization. Previously, a bacterium (isolate 3519-10) recovered from a depth of 3,519 m below the surface in the Vostok ice core was shown to secrete an ice-binding protein (IBP) that inhibits the recrystallization of ice. To explore the advantage that IBPs confer to ice-entrapped cells, experiments were designed to examine the expression of 3519-10's IBP gene and protein at different temperatures, assess the effect of the IBP on bacterial viability in ice, and determine how the IBP influences the physical structure of the ice. Total RNA isolated from cultures grown between 4 and

SUBMITTER: Achberger AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3245957 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature