Study
Glycoproteins as biological antifreeze agents in Antarctic fishes
DeVries, Arthur L.
Science, 1971
Isolated the active fraction from Antarctic fish blood, identified it as a family of glycoproteins, and measured its effect on freezing and melting points separately.
- Studied in
- Notothenioidei
- Sample size
- isolated blood fractions tested for antifreeze activity
The glycoproteins lowered the freezing point without lowering the melting point by the same amount — a gap known as thermal hysteresis — showing that they act on ice crystal growth rather than by ordinary colligative depression.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
These proteins prevent freezing by a non-colligative mechanism: they bind to ice and block its growth, which is far more effective per molecule than dissolved solutes.
How NatureHQ reads it
The measurement that makes the mechanism visible. A freezing point that no longer matches the melting point is a strange and diagnostic signature, and it is why NatureHQ says antifreeze proteins are not analogous to the antifreeze in a car engine.
- Establishes the mechanism in one group of fish; other antifreeze proteins are structurally unrelated and act similarly, which was not known at the time.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: American Association for the Advancement of SciencePublished in Science or Science Advances (AAAS).
doi.org/10.1126/science.172.3988.1152
Checked against Crossref on 2026-09-28, and they agree on the title, the authors and the year.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-09-03.