Cell Biology

Epigenetics and chromatin structure regulate var2csa expression and the placental-binding phenotype in Plasmodium falciparum

1. Todd Lenz
2. Madle Sirel
3. Hannes Hoppe
4. Sulman Shafeeq
5. Karine G Le Roch
6. Ulf Ribacke

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This interesting study presents a multi-OMICs approach to unify different lines of evidence regarding the epigenetic regulation of the key virulence factor causing placental malaria during P. falciparum infection. Most results are confirmatory of previous observations; nonetheless, the claims are supported by convincing evidence. The combinatorial approach chosen here is unprecedented and therefore provides valuable new data. In addition, the comparative investigation of different DNA methylation modifications is novel and disproves a direct role in var gene regulation.

Reviewed by eLife

Quantitative comparison of PI(3,5)P ₂ biosensors reveals SnxA is the most sensitive and unbiased

1. Tiernan Swayhoover
2. Claire C. Weckerly
3. Gerald R. V. Hammond

Reviewed by Review Commons

Cell loss disrupts mechanical homeostasis to drive retinal pigment epithelium ageing-like phenotype in vitro

1. Teodora Piskova
2. Aleksandra N. Kozyrina
3. Giedrė Astrauskaitė
4. Mohamed Elsafi Mabrouk
5. Sebastian Schepl
6. Stacy Lok Sze Yam
7. Ragul Ravithas
8. Wolfgang Wagner
9. Massimo Vassalli
10. Jacopo Di Russo

Reviewed by preLights

CD8 T lymphocytes redeploy embryonic cell cycle control mechanisms to facilitate rapid cell proliferation

1. D. A. Lewis
2. A. Kar
3. A. Savage
4. V. Kelly
5. D. Wright
6. R. Zamoyska
7. T. Ly

Reviewed by Review Commons

Contractile peri-nuclear actomyosin network repositions peripheral and polar chromosomes to promote early kinetochore–microtubule interactions

1. Nooshin Sheidaei
2. John K Eykelenboom
3. Zuojun Yue
4. Graeme Ball
5. Alexander JR Booth
6. Tomoyuki U Tanaka

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study demonstrates that a peri-nuclear actomyosin network, present in some types of human cells, facilitates kinetochore-spindle attachment of chromosomes in unfavorable locations - thereby suppressing their missegregation rate. This actomyosin network and its general role have been studied previously, but this study convincingly clarifies the underlying mechanism using a light-controlled perturbation and detailed tracking of kinetochore movement. The generality of the mechanism could be further supported by confirming the findings in non-synchronized cells and additional cell lines. The results may have implications for understanding chromosome missegregation in cancer cells.

  [Editors' note: this paper was reviewed by Review Commons.]

Reviewed by eLife, Review Commons

Progenitor identification and SARS-CoV-2 infection in long-term human distal lung organoid cultures

1. Ameen A. Salahudeen
2. Shannon S. Choi
3. Arjun Rustagi
4. Junjie Zhu
5. Sean M. de la O
6. Ryan A. Flynn
7. Mar Margalef-Català
8. António J. M. Santos
9. Jihang Ju
10. Arpit Batish
11. Vincent van Unen
12. Tatsuya Usui
13. Grace X.Y. Zheng
14. Caitlin E. Edwards
15. Lisa E. Wagar
16. Vincent Luca
17. Benedict Anchang
18. Monica Nagendran
19. Khanh Nguyen
20. Daniel J. Hart
21. Jessica M. Terry
22. Phillip Belgrader
23. Solongo B. Ziraldo
24. Tarjei S. Mikkelsen
25. Pehr B. Harbury
26. Jeffrey S. Glenn
27. K. Christopher Garcia
28. Mark M. Davis
29. Ralph S. Baric
30. Chiara Sabatti
31. Manuel R. Amieva
32. Catherine A. Blish
33. Tushar J. Desai
34. Calvin J. Kuo

Reviewed by Rapid Reviews Infectious Diseases, PREreview, ScreenIT

Unconventional components complement the cryptic kinetochore of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila

1. Emine I. Ali
2. Maximilian W. D. Raas
3. Laura E. van Rooijen
4. Paula Sobrevals Alcaraz
5. Harmjan R. Vos
6. Eelco C. Tromer
7. Berend Snel
8. Geert J.P.L. Kops

Reviewed by Review Commons

Proteome dynamics reveal Leiomodin 1 as a key regulator of myogenic differentiation

1. Ellen Späth
2. Svenja C Schüler
3. Ivonne Heinze
4. Therese Dau
5. Alberto Minetti
6. Maleen Hofmann
7. Katja Hönzke
8. Julia von Maltzahn
9. Alessandro Ori

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study provides valuable insights into the regulation of myogenic differentiation by identifying Leiomodin 1 as a modulator of proteome dynamics during myogenic differentiation. The combination of quantitative proteomics with functional perturbation experiments offers solid evidence supporting the idea that SIRT1 influences perturbations of myogenic differentiation upon LMOD1 inactivation. These findings advance our understanding of muscle differentiation and will be of interest to researchers studying muscle development and related pathologies

Reviewed by eLife

The insulin / IGF axis is critically important controlling gene transcription in the podocyte

1. Jennifer A Hurcombe
2. Lusyan Dayalan
3. Fern Barrington
4. Frédéric Burdet
5. Lan Ni
6. Joseph T Coward
7. Mark Ibberson
8. Paul T Brinkkoetter
9. Martin Holzenberger
10. Aaron Jeffries
11. Sebastian Oltean
12. Gavin I Welsh
13. Richard JM Coward

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study used genetic and pharmacological manipulations of insulin/IGF signaling in renal glomerular podocytes to address the role of insulin/IGF axis in podocytes. Solid data are presented to demonstrate that co-inhibition of insulin/IGF signaling in podocytes led to aberrant splicing of mRNAs, which could contribute to the loss of podocytes in vitro and in vivo in mice. As it stands, the study lacks the assessment of developmental phenotype of podocytes in the mouse model.

  [Editors' note: this paper was reviewed by Review Commons.]

Reviewed by eLife

Uev1A counteracts oncogenic Ras stimuli in both polyploid and diploid cells

1. Qi Zhang
2. Yunfeng Wang
3. Xueli Fu
4. Ziguang Wang
5. Yang Zhang
6. Lizhong Yan
7. Yuejia Wang
8. Muhan Yang
9. Dongze Song
10. Ruixing Zhang
11. Hongru Zhang
12. Shian Wu
13. Shaowei Zhao

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study examines the role of E2 ubiquitin enzyme, Uev1a in tissue resistance to oncogenic RasV12 in Drosophila melanogaster polyploid germline cells and human cancer cell lines. The solid evidence suggests that Uev1a works with the E3 ligase APC/C to degrade Cyclin A. This work would be of interest to researchers in germline biology and cancer.

Reviewed by eLife