Exploring the Effects of Subfreezing Temperature and Salt Concentration on Ice Growth Inhibition of Antarctic Gram-Negative Bacterium Marinomonas Primoryensis Using Coarse-Grained Simulation.

Abstract

The aim of this work is to study the freezing process of water molecules surrounding Antarctic Gram-negative bacterium Marinomonas primoryensis antifreeze protein (MpAFP) and the MpAFP interactions to the surface of ice crystals under various marine environments (at different NaCl concentrations of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.8mol/l). Our result indicates that activating temperature region of MpAFPs reduced as NaCl concentration increased. Specifically, MpAFP was activated and functioned at 0.6mol/l with temperatures equal or larger 278K, and at 0.8mol/l with temperatures equal or larger 270K. Additionally, MpAFP was inhibited by ice crystal network from 268 to 274K and solid-liquid hybrid from 276 to 282K at 0.3mol/l concentration. Our results shed lights on structural dynamics of MpAFP among different marine environments.