Synergy between Antifreeze Proteins Is Driven by Complementary Ice-Binding.

In some cold-adapted organisms, over a dozen isoforms of antifreeze (glyco)proteins or AF(G)Ps are present. Although these isoforms are structurally similar, their ability to inhibit ice growth varies significantly, and, in some fish, passive isoforms can be much more abundant than the active ones. Laboratory experiments demonstrated more than a decade ago that mixtures of AFP isoforms can exhibit synergistic enhancement of each other's activity.