Art depicts neural protein as "purple humanoid" at researchers' request

Manga artist Hirohiko Araki ( JoJo's Bizarre Adventure , BAOH , Steel Ball Run ) has drawn the cover of volume 130's issue 5 (available September 7) of the American biological journal Cell , at the request of two Japanese authors published in this issue. Dr. Mitsutoshi Setou and Dr. Hiroshi Ageta are part of a team that identified a protein named SCRAPPER that helps regulate synaptic activity in the nervous system. Among other potential benefits, the findings reported in the "Ubiquitin Ligase for Synaptic Tuning" article will aid research on Alzheimer's disease and strokes.

According to the issue, Araki's art depicts SCRAPPER as a purple humanoid "putting blue heart-shaped ubiquitins on the red RIM creatures." Araki drew the illustration with the scientific direction of Drs. Setou and Ageta.

Thank you to enjin2000 for the news tip.

Source: Jiji