Articles | Volume 20, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3291-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3291-2020
Research article
 | 
20 Mar 2020
Research article |  | 20 Mar 2020

Protein aggregates nucleate ice: the example of apoferritin

María Cascajo-Castresana, Robert O. David, Maiara A. Iriarte-Alonso, Alexander M. Bittner, and Claudia Marcolli

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Short summary
Atmospheric ice-nucleating particles are rare but relevant for cloud glaciation. A source of particles that nucleate ice above −15 °C is biological material including some proteins. Here we show that proteins of very diverse functions and structures can nucleate ice. Among these, the iron storage protein apoferritin stands out, with activity up to −4 °C. We show that its activity does not stem from correctly assembled proteins but from misfolded protein monomers or oligomers and aggregates.
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