Ice-minus bacteria

Ice-minus bacteria is a common name given to a variant of the common <a href="/facts/Bacterium/wC8xSCsU">bacterium</a> <a href="/facts/Pseudomonas_syringae/q1U3XeUd">Pseudomonas syringae</a> (P. syringae). This strain of P. syringae lacks the ability to produce a certain surface <a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">protein</a>, usually found on wild-type P. syringae. The "ice-plus" protein (INA protein, "Ice nucleation-active" protein) found on the outer bacterial <a href="/facts/Cell_wall/DYXJVrnw">cell wall</a> acts as the <a href="/facts/Nucleation/efUVLsLR">nucleating centers</a> for ice crystals. This facilitates ice formation, hence the designation "ice-plus". The ice-minus variant of P. syringae is a <a href="/facts/Mutant/sWgrsoFS">mutant</a>, lacking the <a href="/facts/Gene/e1swwPY6">gene</a> responsible for ice-nucleating surface protein production. This lack of surface protein provides a less favorable environment for ice formation. Both strains of P. syringae occur naturally, but <a href="/facts/Recombinant_DNA_technology/Te56373e">recombinant DNA technology</a> has allowed for the synthetic removal or alteration of specific genes, enabling the ice-minus strain to be created from the ice-plus strain in the lab.
The ice nucleating nature of P. syringae incites frost development, freezing the <a href="/facts/Bud/USYHoQv8">buds</a> of the plant and destroying the occurring crop. The introduction of an ice-minus strain of P. syringae to the surface of plants would reduce the amount of ice nucleate present, rendering higher crop yields. The recombinant form was developed as a commercial product known as Frostban. Field-testing of Frostban in 1987 was the first release of a <a href="/facts/Genetically_modified_organism/6emCmpsc">genetically modified organism</a> into the environment. The testing was very controversial and drove the formation of US biotechnology policy. Frostban was never marketed.

Ice-minus bacteria open-in-new

Ice-minus bacteria