Abstract
We have screened the antifreeze material-producing fungi originated from Antarctica. Among 40 strains, 7 strains of Antarctic fungi had clearly the antifreeze activity that exhibit the change of ice crystal morphology and low level of thermal hysteresis. Among 7 strains, one strain with high level of antifreeze activity has identified as one strain of Penicillium bilaiae. The optimum culture condition for the production of antifreeze material by this strain was the culture in the NB medium at 18℃ for 2 weeks. Also, as this strain found to have low level of antifreeze activity after culturing at 30℃ for 2 weeks, we can predict that this antifreeze material is different from the structures of other antifreeze proteins. This difference was supported by the resistance of protease treatment and heat treatment, the fractionation using dialysis membrane. Furthermore, this antifreeze materials had the high stability after treating at 100℃ for 1 hr, and had instability under alkaline solution.
