Composition of a protein antifreeze from larvae of the beetle, Tenebrio molitor

A thermal hysteresis producing antifreeze protein was isolated from larvae of the beetle, Tenebrio molitor. This is the first thermal hysteresis protein purified from an insect. The specific activity of the Tenebrio antifreeze is somewhat greater than that of the fishes. The composition of the Tenebrio protein is quite different from those of the fish protein antifreezes. The most obvious difference is the lack of a large alanine component in the Tenebrio antifreeze. The significance of the differences are discussed.