Physiology

Molecular tuning of sea anemone stinging

1. Lily S He
2. Yujia Qi
3. Corey AH Allard
4. Wendy A Valencia-Montoya
5. Stephanie P Krueger
6. Keiko Weir
7. Agnese Seminara
8. Nicholas W Bellono

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This is an important paper that links distinctive stinging behavior of two related anemones occupying different ecological niches to varying inactivation properties of voltage-gated calcium channels conferred by auxiliary Cavβ subunits. Further convincing evidence is provided that these differences are mediated by alternative splicing of Cavβ subunit of the calcium channel. The study will be of interest to scientists studying Ca2+ signaling, ion channel biophysicists, and marine biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Hypoxia blunts angiogenic signaling and upregulates the antioxidant system in elephant seal endothelial cells

1. Kaitlin N Allen
2. Julia María Torres-Velarde
3. Juan Manuel Vazquez
4. Diana D Moreno-Santillan
5. Peter H Sudmant
6. José Pablo Vázquez-Medina

Reviewed by preLights

Mice lacking triglyceride synthesis enzymes in adipose tissue are resistant to diet-induced obesity

1. Chandramohan Chitraju
2. Alexander W Fischer
3. Yohannes A Ambaw
4. Kun Wang
5. Bo Yuan
6. Sheng Hui
7. Tobias C Walther
8. Robert V Farese

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment:

  This study introduces a valuable paradigm in the field of adipose tissue biology: blocking triglyceride storage in adipose tissue does not lead to lipodystrophy and impaired glucose homeostasis but instead improves metabolic health. The evidence supporting these claims is convincing, based on a comprehensive metabolic analysis, although mechanistic studies would strengthen the study and its impact. This study will be of high interest to those in the adipose tissue biology and metabolism fields.

Reviewed by eLife

Melanocortin 1 receptor regulates cholesterol and bile acid metabolism in the liver

1. Keshav Thapa
2. James J Kadiri
3. Karla Saukkonen
4. Iida Pennanen
5. Bishwa Ghimire
6. Minying Cai
7. Eriika Savontaus
8. Petteri Rinne

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The significance of this manuscript is that is provides useful information for the field of hepatology and endocrinology on the regulatory mechanisms of cholesterol homeostasis by melanocortin. The authors provide solid evidence utilizing both in vivo and in vitro molecular, cellular, and biochemical approaches to support their claims.

Reviewed by eLife

A class of secreted mammalian peptides with potential to expand cell-cell communication

1. Amanda L. Wiggenhorn
2. Hind Z. Abuzaid
3. Laetitia Coassolo
4. Veronica L. Li
5. Julia T. Tanzo
6. Wei Wei
7. Xuchao Lyu
8. Katrin J. Svensson
9. Jonathan Z. Long

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Kidney and Lung ACE2 Expression after an ACE Inhibitor or an Ang II Receptor Blocker: Implications for COVID-19

1. Jan Wysocki
2. Enrique Lores
3. Minghao Ye
4. Maria Jose Soler
5. Daniel Batlle

Reviewed by ScreenIT

Androgen regulation of pulmonary AR, TMPRSS2 and ACE2 with implications for sex-discordant COVID-19 outcomes

1. Mehdi Baratchian
2. Jeffrey M. McManus
3. Mike P. Berk
4. Fumihiko Nakamura
5. Sanjay Mukhopadhyay
6. Weiling Xu
7. Serpil Erzurum
8. Judy Drazba
9. John Peterson
10. Eric A. Klein
11. Benjamin Gaston
12. Nima Sharifi

Reviewed by ScreenIT

Mechanistic insights into robust cardiac IKs potassium channel activation by aromatic polyunsaturated fatty acid analogues

1. Briana M Bohannon
2. Jessica J Jowais
3. Leif Nyberg
4. Vanessa Olivier-Meo
5. Valentina Corradi
6. D Peter Tieleman
7. Sara I Liin
8. H Peter Larsson

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This work reports important findings regarding the regulation of ion channels by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) through the identification of novel aromatic PUFA analogs with potent effects on the IKs channels, which allow for mechanistic insights into their mode of action. The experiments are solid, combining site-directed mutagenesis, electrophysiological and pharmacological approaches to dissect the different molecular mechanisms and sites involved in the functional interactions. This work will be of broad interest to ion channel biophysicists, physiologists, and medical chemists interested in drug development for LQT syndrome. The study presents some limitations that may need to be addressed or further discussed, in order to strengthen the conclusions reached in the study.

Reviewed by eLife

Calcium and bicarbonate signaling pathways have pivotal, resonating roles in matching ATP production to demand

1. Maura Greiser
2. Mariusz Karbowski
3. Aaron David Kaplan
4. Andrew Kyle Coleman
5. Nicolas Verhoeven
6. Carmen A Mannella
7. W Jonathan Lederer
8. Liron Boyman

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The important work presented here provides findings that substantially advance our understanding of a major research question into how bicarbonate/CO2 signaling regulates cardiac mitochondrial energy supply. The methods, data, and analyses broadly support the claims with only minor weaknesses concerning the exact spatial location of the enzymes involved. The work will be of broad interest to cell biologists and biochemists interested in metabolic control.

Reviewed by eLife

A cell-and-plasma numerical model reveals hemodynamic stress and flow adaptation in zebrafish microvessels after morphological alteration

1. Swe Soe Maung Ye
2. Li-Kun Phng

Reviewed by Review Commons