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How do Antarctic notothenioid fishes cope with internal ice? A novel function for antifreeze glycoproteins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2010

Clive W. Evans ,
Vladimir Gubala ,
Robert Nooney ,
David E. Williams ,
Margaret A. Brimble  and
Arthur L. Devries
Clive W. Evans*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Vladimir Gubala
Affiliation:
Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
Robert Nooney
Affiliation:
Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
David E. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Margaret A. Brimble
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand Department of Chemistry, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Arthur L. Devries
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 524 Burrill Hall, 407 Sth. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
*
c.evans@auckland.ac.nz
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Abstract

Antarctic fishes survive freezing through the secretion of antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs), which bind to ice crystals to inhibit their growth. This mode of action implies that ice crystals must be present internally for AFGPs to function. The entry and internal accumulation of ice is likely to be lethal, however, so how do fishes survive in its presence? We propose a novel function for the interaction between internal ice and AFGPs, namely the promotion of ice uptake by splenic phagocytes. We show here that i) external mucus of Antarctic notothenioids contains AFGPs and thus has a potential protective role against ice entry, ii) AFGPs are distributed widely through the extracellular space ensuring that they are likely to come into immediate contact with ice that penetrates their protective barriers, and iii) using AFGP-coated nanoparticles as a proxy for AFGP adsorbed onto ice, we suggest that internal ice crystals are removed from the circulation through phagocytosis, primarily in the spleen. We argue that intracellular sequestration in the spleen minimizes the risks associated with circulating ice and enables the fish to store the ice until it can be dealt with at a later date, possibly by melting during a seasonal warming event.

Keywords

AFGPnanoparticlesnotothenioidPagothenia borchgrevinkiphagocytosis
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , February 2011 , pp. 57 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2011

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