Protective effect and mechanisms of marine antifreeze protein product on sperm cryodamage in livestock

Abstract

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs), a class of antifreeze substances, were initially found to bind to ice crystals in vivo, thereby contributing to inhibition of the growth of ice crystals that enabled polar fish to survive at the temperatures below freezing point. As a potential cryoprotectant, AFPs had been used for cryopreservation of germ cells, embryos and other biological samples. In this review, the application of AFPs to the cryopreservation of livestock tissues and cells in recent 10 years was summarized. The characteristics and principles of frost protection of AFPs under different biological models were discussed, and the possible influencing factors of AFPs in the cryopreservation of biological samples were analyzed. The protective effects of AFPs on sperm cryopreservation and its action mechanism were summarized, and the theoretical references were provided for the application of AFPs in cryopreservation of animal sperm. The non-toxicity and peculiar biological characteristics of AFPs in cryopreservation provided a new solution for livestock semen cryopreservation. Therefore, AFPs have a broad prospect in cryopreservation of sperm.

Keywords

• antifreeze protein
• ice recrystallization inhibition
• thermal hysteresis effect
• antifreeze protectant