Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) or
ice structuring proteins (ISPs) refer to a class of
polypeptides produced by certain
vertebrates,
plants,
fungi and
bacteria that permit their survival in subzero environments. AFPs bind to small
ice crystals to inhibit growth and
recrystallization of ice that would otherwise be fatal. There is also increasing evidence that AFPs interact with mammalian cell membranes to protect them from cold damage. This work suggests the involvement of AFPs in cold
acclimatization.