Expression of a beetle, Dendroides canadensis, antifreeze protein in Drosophila melanogaster.

Antifreeze protein 1 (DAFP-1), from the beetle Dendroides canadensis, was expressed in Drosophila melanogaster. Mean thermal hysteresis values (the difference between freezing and melting points), indicative of antifreeze protein activity, in the hemolymph of transgenic flies were found to be as high as 6.23+/-0.

Expression of an insect (Dendroides canadensis) antifreeze protein in Arabidopsis thaliana results in a decrease in plant freezing temperature.

Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants which express genes encoding insect, Dendroides canadensis, antifreeze proteins (AFP) were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The antifreeze protein genes, both with and without the signal peptide sequence (for protein secretion), were expressed in transformed plants. Thermal hysteresis activity (indicating the presence of active AFPs) was present in protein extracts from plants expressing both proteins and was also detected in leaf apoplast fluid from plants expressing AFPs with the signal peptide.