Zoology

Imidacloprid disrupts larval molting regulation and nutrient energy metabolism, causing developmental delay in honey bee Apis mellifera

1. Zhi Li
2. Yuedi Wang
3. Qiqian Qin
4. Lanchun Chen
5. Xiaoqun Dang
6. Zhengang Ma
7. Zeyang Zhou

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This investigation of the changes in gene expression and some of the physiological consequences of sublethal exposures to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid in honeybee larvae is useful, although numerous experiments were not considered based on technical issues. The methodological design leads to concerns and it is therefore not obvious that all conclusions are justified. The study adds to our understanding of how this insecticide impacts development and growth of honeybees, but the evidence supporting the major claims is incomplete.

Reviewed by eLife

Data from Entomological Collections of Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) in a post-epidemic area of Chikungunya, City of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

1. Victoire Nsabatien
2. Josue Zanga
3. Fiacre Agossa
4. Nono Mvuama
5. Maxwell Bamba
6. Osée Mansiangi
7. Leon Mbashi
8. Vanessa Mvudi
9. Glodie Diza
10. Dorcas Kantin
11. Narcisse Basosila
12. Hyacinthe Lukoki
13. Arsene Bokulu
14. Christelle Bosulu
15. Erick Bukaka
16. Jonas Nagahuedi
17. Jean Claude Palata
18. Emery Metelo

• Curated by GigaByte

  Editors Assessment: Aedes mosquito spread Arbovirus epidemics (e.g. Chikungunya, dengue, West Nile, Yellow Fever, and Zika), are a growing threat in Africa but a lack of vector data limits our ability to understand their propagation dynamics. This work describes the geographical distribution of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo between 2020 and 2022. Sharing 6,943 observations under a CC0 waiver as a Darwin Core archive in the University of Kinshasa GBIF database. Review improved the metadata by adding more accurate date information, and this data can provide important information for further basic and advanced studies on the ecology and phenology of these vectors in West Africa.

  This evaluation refers to version 1 of the preprint

Reviewed by GigaByte

Time-course of antipredator behavioral changes induced by the helminth Pomphorhynchus laevis in its intermediate host Gammarus pulex: the switch in manipulation according to parasite developmental stage differs between behaviors

1. Thierry Rigaud
2. Aude Balourdet
3. Alexandre Bauer

Reviewed by Peer Community In Zoology

FSHβ links photoperiodic signaling to seasonal reproduction in Japanese quail

1. Gaurav Majumdar
2. Timothy A Liddle
3. Calum Stewart
4. Christopher J Marshall
5. Maureen Bain
6. Tyler Stevenson

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important article provides insights into the neural centers and hormonal modulations underlying seasonal changes associated with photoperiod-induced life-history states in birds. The physiological and transcriptomic analyses of the mediobasal hypothalamus and pituitary gland offer convincing evidence for a timing mechanism for measuring day length, which is relevant for the field of seasonal biology. The study's experiments and findings have the potential to captivate the attention of molecular and organismal endocrinologists and chronobiologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Adulis and the transshipment of baboons during classical antiquity

1. Franziska Grathwol
2. Christian Roos
3. Dietmar Zinner
4. Benjamin Hume
5. Stéphanie M Porcier
6. Didier Berthet
7. Jacques Cuisin
8. Stefan Merker
9. Claudio Ottoni
10. Wim Van Neer
11. Nathaniel J Dominy
12. Gisela H Kopp

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This Research Advance provides compelling evidence connecting the ancient Egyptian trade of baboons with the ancient port city of Adulis. Combining ancient DNA methods from a single mummified baboon with historical accounts, this work fundamentally advances our understanding of the ancient baboon trade in the Red Sea. Some additional reporting of DNA contamination will make the evidence provided even stronger.

Reviewed by eLife

A seven-year record of fluctuating core body temperatures of nesting leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles

1. Malcolm W. Kennedy

Reviewed by PREreview

If it’s there, could it be a bear?

1. Floe Foxon

Reviewed by PeerRef

If it’s real, could it be an eel?

1. Floe Foxon

Reviewed by PeerRef

Sensory conflict disrupts circadian rhythms in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

1. Cory A Berger
2. Ann M Tarrant

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  Understanding the integration and contribution of different combinations of environmental cues to the synchronization of the daily oscillator is important, because it provides insight into how organisms might be able to distinguish (and weight) between irregular (or in the tidal zone highly complex) versus regular individual daily changes of light and temperature. The study, which is thoroughly conducted and provides an impressive amount of experimental and analytical work, dissects the effects of sensory conflict on behavior and gene expression rhythms.

Reviewed by eLife

Non-canonical function of an Hif-1α splice variant contributes to the sustained flight of locusts

1. Ding Ding
2. Jie Zhang
3. Baozhen Du
4. Xuanzhao Wang
5. Li Hou
6. Siyuan Guo
7. Bing Chen
8. Le Kang

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  The hypoxia inducible factor (Hif) pathway was defined based on its role in cellular adaptation to hypoxia. In this paper, the authors examine the function of the pathway under 'physiological' normoxia in highly aerobic locust flight muscle. They find that a muscle-specific variant, Hif-1alpha2, is induced extensively by flying. By integrating bioinformatic analyses, measurements of gene expression and regulation, metabolites as well as redox regulation and flight assays, it is shown that Hif-1alpha2 plays an important role in sustaining prolonged flight by promoting glucose oxidation and upregulating a reactive oxygen species quencher (DJ-1). This study demonstrates the physiological requirement for two Hif-1a variants in a highly aerobic tissue in migratory locusts, a species that is both physiologically fascinating and a major agricultural pest. The work will be of interest to colleagues studying the physiology of muscles and flight.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1 and Reviewer 3 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife