Biophysics and Physicobiology Editors' Choice Award

日本生物物理学会では、前年にBiophysics and Physicobiology誌に掲載された論文（依頼論文は原則対象外）の中から、編集委員会による選考を経て、生物物理学に寄与するユニークな論文に対して、「Biophysics and Physicobiology Editors' Choice Award」を授与します。

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Biophysics and Physicobiology Editors' Choice Award選考規定

第9回Biophysics and Physicobiology Editors' Choice Award受賞論文（2022）

“Biphasic spatiotemporal regulation of GRB2 dynamics by p52SHC for transient RAS activation”
Ryo Yoshizawa, Nobuhisa Umeki, Akihiro Yamamoto, Masayuki Murata and Yasushi Sako
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 18, pp. 1-12（2021）

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Haruki Nakamura

　Using single molecule imaging and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in living cells, the regulation of GRB2 recruitment under the SHC pathway was studied. Consequently, the authors find that a pathway, RTK-SHC-GRB2, operates in parallel to the direct RTK-GRB2 pathway to regulate the dynamics of the GRB2 signaling activation of RAS, which is a key mechanism for cell fate changes.

“A measure for the identification of preferred particle orientations in cryo-electron microscopy data: A simulation study”
Ryota Kojima and Takashi Yoshidome
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 18, pp. 96-107（2021）

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Ryo Akiyama

　Nowadays, Cryo-electron microscopy is an important method of obtaining the structure of biomacromolecules. In the process, the progress of data analysis is also crucial. Their results suggest that the geometry of the manifold projected onto a lowdimensional space can be used for the measure for the identification that the biomolecules adopt preferred orientations.
We can expect a unique strategy in the data analysis method of Cryo-electron microscopy. Therefore, I recommend this review.

“Structural basis for Ca²⁺-dependent catalysis of a cutinase-like enzyme and its engineering: application to enzymatic PET depolymerization”
Masayuki Oda
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 18, pp. 168-176（2021）

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Daisuke Kohda

　This article is a comprehensive review of the author’s study on a cutinase enzyme, Cut190, which could be useful for the degradation of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) into the monomers. Needless to say, the environmentally safe and cost-effective recycling of PET is an urgent issue for sustainable development goals (SDGs). The author’s group has conducted the structural and functional studies of the Cut190 enzyme using X-ray crystallography, thermal measurement (ITC and DSC), MD (molecular dynamics) simulation, and RISM (3D Reference Interaction Site Model) calculations. They aim to obtain a highly thermostable enzyme with high degradative activity, by introducing multiple amino acid mutations. They have succeeded in designing a new heptaple (7) mutant with desired properties. Their strategy is structure-based, which is not anything special, but their effort is a textbook example of the protein engineering study.

“The insights into calcium ion selectivity provided by ancestral prokaryotic ion channels”
Katsumasa Irie
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 18, pp. 274-283（2021）

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Shigetoshi Oiki

　This review summarizes the advances of current ion channel studies by focusing on Ca²⁺ selective channels. The development of structural biology using prokaryotic channels has served to infer the structure and function of eukaryotic counterparts. The author traced the logic linking these research trends to Ca²⁺ selective channels, including his own achievements.
The review is timely and should be shared with the general audience of BPPB. Accordingly, I recommend this review for the Editor's Choice Award.

2022年6月
Biophysics and Physicobiology編集委員会