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Plant thermal hysteresis proteins
M E Urrutia1, J G Duman, C A Knight
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|May 22, 1992
Summary
Thermal hysteresis proteins (THPs) were found in plants, acting as natural antifreezes. These proteins, previously known in animals, may be a common winter adaptation in flowering plants (angiosperms).
Area of Science:
- Plant physiology
- Biochemistry
- Cryobiology
Background:
- Thermal hysteresis proteins (THPs) are known antifreezes in cold-adapted animals, lowering the freezing point of water.
- THPs have not been previously identified in plants, despite their importance in cold tolerance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and potential function of thermal hysteresis proteins in plants.
- To determine if THPs are a common winter adaptation in angiosperms.
Main Methods:
- Collected 16 plant species from northern Indiana during autumn and winter.
- Assayed plant fluids for thermal hysteresis activity and recrystallization inhibition.
- Used antibodies against insect THPs for cross-reactivity tests on plant proteins.
Main Results:
- Low levels of thermal hysteresis activity were detected in 16 plant species during autumn and winter, but not in summer.
- Winter stem fluid from Solanum dulcamara L. exhibited recrystallization inhibition activity, characteristic of animal THPs.
- Antibodies to insect THPs cross-reacted with proteins in S. dulcamara stem fluid, indicating shared epitopes.
Conclusions:
- Thermal hysteresis proteins may be a common winter adaptation in angiosperms.
- THPs in Solanum dulcamara L. suggest a role in freeze tolerance.
- Plant and insect THPs may share common epitopes, implying conserved structures or functions.