The fields of the chessboard represent the beetle Tribolium and its juvenile hormone in the ligand-binding pocket of the Methoprene-tolerant (Met) protein. Recent work by the Czech scientist Marek Jindra and his international team has established Met as the long-sought receptor of the insect juvenile hormone. The cartoon was designed for the original publication and for the “EMBO Cover Contest 2012”.
See the publication:
Charles JP, Iwema T, Epa VC, Takaki K, Rynes J, Jindra M (2011) Ligand-binding properties of a juvenile hormone receptor, Methoprene-tolerant. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108: 21128-21133. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1116123109