Molecular Biology

Multiplex DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization to analyze maternal vs. paternal C. elegans chromosomes

1. Silvia Gutnik
2. Ahilya Sawh
3. Susan E. Mango

Reviewed by Review Commons

Identification of a carbohydrate recognition motif of purinergic receptors

1. Lifen Zhao
2. Fangyu Wei
3. Xinheng He
4. Antao Dai
5. Dehua Yang
6. Hualiang Jiang
7. Liuqing Wen
8. Xi Cheng

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  Purines are native molecules that affect processes in the immune system, among others. The manuscript describes a valuable investigation of the mode of binding of purines, especially their carbohydrate moiety, to human receptors in cell culture and by computer-based modelling. Solid evidence is presented about the way purines interact with and activate two receptors.

Reviewed by eLife

Genetic validation of PfFKBP35 as an antimalarial drug target

1. Basil T Thommen
2. Jerzy M Dziekan
3. Fiona Achcar
4. Seth Tjia
5. Armin Passecker
6. Katarzyna Buczak
7. Christin Gumpp
8. Alexander Schmidt
9. Matthias Rottmann
10. Christof Grüring
11. Matthias Marti
12. Zbynek Bozdech
13. Nicolas MB Brancucci

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  FKBP35 is the only FK506-binding protein present in the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum, and has been considered a promising drug target due to its high affinity to the macrolide compound FK506, an immunosuppressant with antiplasmodial activity. This study demonstrates the essentiality of FKBP35 in parasite growth, based on compelling genetic evidence. The data also suggest that FK506 may exert its antimalarial activity through FKBP35-independent mechanisms that have not yet been characterised. This important study will be of interest to scientists working on the parasite biology and antimalarial drug development.

Reviewed by eLife

CRISPR-dependent Base Editing Screens Identify Separation of Function Mutants of RADX with Altered RAD51 Regulatory Activity

1. Madison B. Adolph
2. Atharv S. Garje
3. Swati Balakrishnan
4. Florian Morati
5. Mauro Modesti
6. Walter J. Chazin
7. David Cortez

Reviewed by preLights

Systematic Analysis of Network-driven Adaptive Resistance to CDK4/6 and Estrogen Receptor Inhibition using Meta-Dynamic Network Modelling

1. Anthony Hart
2. Sung-Young Shin
3. Lan K. Nguyen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript presents a useful method for a comprehensive numerical simulation to systematically characterise the effect of heterogeneity in either the initial conditions or the biophysical parameters on the dynamic behaviour of protein signalling networks. Nevertheless, the presentation and detail of their model appear incomplete to fully support the main claims of the manuscript.

Reviewed by eLife

SIRT2 inhibition protects against cardiac hypertrophy and ischemic injury

1. Xiaoyan Yang
2. Hsiang-Chun Chang
3. Yuki Tatekoshi
4. Amir Mahmoodzadeh
5. Maryam Balibegloo
6. Zeinab Najafi
7. Rongxue Wu
8. Chunlei Chen
9. Tatsuya Sato
10. Jason Shapiro
11. Hossein Ardehali

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  In this study, Yang et al. have shown that SIRT2 has adverse effects on the heart in response to injury. Further, they demonstrate that deletion of Sirt2 is protective through stabilization and increased nuclear translocation of NRF2, which leads to increased expression of antioxidant genes. They also show that pharmacological inhibition of SIRT2 protects the heart against the development of cardiac hypertrophy.

Reviewed by eLife

N -6-methyladenosine (m6A) Promotes the Nuclear Retention of mRNAs with Intact 5′ Splice Site Motifs

1. Eliza S. Lee
2. Harrison. W. Smith
3. Yifan E. Wang
4. Sean S. J. Ihn
5. Leticia Scalize de Olivera
6. Nevraj S. Kejiou
7. Yijing L. Liang
8. Syed Nabeel-Shah
9. Robert Y. Jomphe
10. Shuye Pu
11. Jack F. Greenblatt
12. Alexander F. Palazzo

Reviewed by Review Commons

BATF relieves hepatic steatosis by inhibiting PD1 and promoting energy metabolism

1. Zhiwang Zhang
2. Qichao Liao
3. Tingli Pan
4. Lin Yu
5. Zupeng Luo
6. Songtao Su
7. Shi Liu
8. Menglong Hou
9. Yixing Li
10. Turtushikh Damba
11. Yunxiao Liang
12. Lei Zhou

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This valuable study presents reports on the role of the transcription factor BATF and its target PD1 in lipid metabolism including a model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Overall, the evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing. The work will be of interest to medical biologists working on NAFLD.

Reviewed by eLife

A local ATR-dependent checkpoint pathway is activated by a site-specific replication fork block in human cells

1. Sana Ahmed-Seghir
2. Manisha Jalan
3. Helen E Grimsley
4. Aman Sharma
5. Shyam Twayana
6. Settapong T Kosiyatrakul
7. Christopher Thompson
8. Carl L Schildkraut
9. Simon N Powell

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript reports important data on the cellular response to a single site-specific replication fork block in human MCF7 cells. Compelling evidence shows the efficacy of the bacterial Tus-Ter system to stall replication forks in human cells. Fork stalling let to lasting ATR-dependent phosphorylation of histone H2AX but not of ATR itself and its downstream targets RPA and CHK1.

Reviewed by eLife

Defining amino acid pairs as structural units suggests mutation sensitivity to adjacent residues

1. Aviv A. Rosenberg
2. Nitsan Yehishalom
3. Ailie Marx
4. Alex Bronstein

Reviewed by PREreview