Molecular Biology

A myristoyl switch at the plasma membrane triggers cleavage and oligomerization of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus matrix protein

1. Markéta Častorálová
2. Jakub Sýs
3. Jan Prchal
4. Anna Pavlů
5. Lucie Prokopová
6. Zina Briki
7. Martin Hubálek
8. Tomas Ruml

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This valuable study advances our understanding of how the viral protease in a D-type retrovirus is activated and in particular how the exposure of the myristoyl group is required for processing of the Gag matrix precursor. The supporting evidence is convincing, but the work would benefit from additional data in support of the claims. This manuscript is of interest to retrovirologists and structural biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Integrative omics analysis reveals gene regulatory mechanisms distinguishing organoid-derived hepatocytes from primary human hepatocytes

1. Haoyu Wu
2. Annie S. P. Yang
3. Suzan Stelloo
4. Floris J. M. Roos
5. René H. M. te Morsche
6. Anne H. Verkerk
7. Maria V. Luna-Velez
8. Laura Wingens
9. Johannes H. W. de Wilt
10. Robert W. Sauerwein
11. Klaas W. Mulder
12. Simon J. van Heeringen
13. Monique M. A. Verstegen
14. Luc J. W. van der Laan
15. Hendrik Marks
16. Richárd Bártfai

Reviewed by Review Commons

SPAG7 deletion causes intrauterine growth restriction, resulting in adulthood obesity and metabolic dysfunction

1. Stephen E Flaherty
2. Olivier Bezy
3. Brianna LaCarubba Paulhus
4. LouJin Song
5. Mary Piper
6. Jincheng Pang
7. Yoson Park
8. Shoh Asano
9. Yu-Chin Lien
10. John D Griffin
11. Andrew Robertson
12. Alan Opsahl
13. Dinesh Hirenallur Shanthappa
14. Youngwook Ahn
15. Evanthia Pashos
16. Rebecca A Simmons
17. Morris J Birnbaum
18. Zhidan Wu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study combines molecular genetics and target validation to discover genes involved in obesity and determine their role. It was unanimously agreed that the work is important in terms of significance as it has conceptual and practical implications beyond metabolism, including embryonic and placental development. The strength of evidence is convincing from the use of their forward genetic screen in mice.

Reviewed by eLife

Binding to nucleosome poises human SIRT6 for histone H3 deacetylation

1. Ekaterina Smirnova
2. Emmanuelle Bignon
3. Patrick Schultz
4. Gabor Papai
5. Adam Ben Shem

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript provides a useful reconstruction of the structure of the sirtuin-class histone deacetylase Sirt6 bound to a nucleosome based on cryo-EM observations, and additional characterization of the flexibility of the histone tails in the complex based on molecular dynamics simulations. While similar structures have recently been published elsewhere, this solid study supports the conclusions of those papers and also includes new insights into the potential dynamics of Sirt6 bound to a nucleosome, insights that help explain its substrate specificity.

Reviewed by eLife

Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes

1. Peter Andreas Seeber
2. Laura Batke
3. Yury Dvornikov
4. Alexandra Schmidt
5. Yi Wang
6. Kathleen Stoof-Leichsenring
7. Katie Moon
8. Samuel H Vohr
9. Beth Shapiro
10. Laura S Epp

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This work presents convincing evidence for the presence of wooly mammoth/rhinoceros ancient environmental DNA (aeDNA) far from the time likely to host living individuals: what is effectively a genetic version of a geological inclusion. These are important findings that will have ramifications for the interpretation and conclusions extracted from aeDNA more generally.

Reviewed by eLife

Mobile barrier mechanisms for Na+-coupled symport in an MFS sugar transporter

1. Parameswaran Hariharan
2. Yuqi Shi
3. Satoshi Katsube
4. Katleen Willibal
5. Nathan D Burrows
6. Patrick Mitchell
7. Amirhossein Bakhtiiari
8. Samantha Stanfield
9. Els Pardon
10. H Ronald Kaback
11. Ruibin Liang
12. Jan Steyaert
13. Rosa Viner
14. Lan Guan

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  In an important study that will be of interest to the mechanistic membrane transport community, the authors capture the first cryo-EM structure of the inward facing melbiose transporter MelB, a well-studied model transporter from the major facilitator (MFS) superfamily. Cryo-EM experiments and supporting biophysical experiments provide solid evidence for transporter conformational changes.

Reviewed by eLife

Lactate transporter MCT1 in hepatic stellate cells promotes fibrotic collagen expression in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

1. Kyounghee Min
2. Batuhan Yenilmez
3. Mark Kelly
4. Dimas Echeverria
5. Michael Elleby
6. Lawrence M Lifshitz
7. Naideline Raymond
8. Emmanouela Tsagkaraki
9. Shauna M Harney
10. Chloe DiMarzio
11. Hui Wang
12. Nicholas McHugh
13. Brianna Bramato
14. Brett Morrison
15. Jeffery D Rothstein
16. Anastasia Khvorova
17. Michael P Czech

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This convincing manuscript represents a valuable advance in understanding the role of MCT1 – a transporter for lactate and other organic anions – in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells in the liver. The authors also generate exciting new tools to investigate hepatic stellate cell biology, and these may have much broader applications, but future studies are required to validate these new tools.

Reviewed by eLife

Cryo-EM structure of cell-free synthesized human histamine H ₂ receptor coupled to heterotrimeric G _s protein in lipid nanodisc environment

1. Zoe Köck
2. Kilian Schnelle
3. Margherita Persechino
4. Simon Umbach
5. Hannes Schihada
6. Dovile Januliene
7. Kristian Parey
8. Steffen Pockes
9. Peter Kolb
10. Volker Dötsch
11. Arne Möller
12. Daniel Hilger
13. Frank Bernhard

Reviewed by PREreview

KIS counteracts PTBP2 and regulates alternative exon usage in neurons

1. Marcos Moreno-Aguilera
2. Alba M Neher
3. Mónica B Mendoza
4. Martin Dodel
5. Faraz K Mardakheh
6. Raúl Ortiz
7. Carme Gallego

Reviewed by Review Commons

Gle1 is required for tRNA to stimulate Dbp5 ATPase activity in vitro and promote Dbp5-mediated tRNA export in vivo in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

1. Arvind Arul Nambi Rajan
2. Ryuta Asada
3. Ben Montpetit

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The work is a valuable contribution to understanding the mechanism of nuclear export of tRNA in budding yeast. The authors present solid evidence that Dbp5 functions in parallel with Los1 and Msn5 in tRNA export, in a manner dependent on Gle1 for activation of its ATPase activity but independently of Mex67, Dbp5's partner in mRNA export. It further presents biochemical evidence that Dbp5 can bind tRNA but that Gle1 and InsP6 are required for activating ATP hydrolysis by the Dbp5-tRNA complex, suggesting a possible mechanism for tRNA export by Dbp5.

Reviewed by eLife