eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Differential locus coeruleus–hippocampus interactions during offline states

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Mingyu Yang
   2. Oxana Eschenko

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study provides new insights into the neuronal dynamics of the locus coeruleus in relation to hippocampal sharp-wave ripples. Using high-temporal-resolution, multi-site electrophysiological recordings in rats, the authors present solid evidence supporting their main claims. Nonetheless, some aspects of the evidence remain incomplete, and several points in the data presentation would benefit from clarification. Overall, the work will be of interest to neuroscientists studying large-scale brain coordination and memory processes.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. The chromatin remodeller CHD4 regulates transcription factor binding to both prevent activation of silent enhancers and maintain active regulatory elements

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Andria Koulle
   2. Oluwaseun Ogundele
   3. Devina Shah
   4. India-May Baker
   5. Maya Lopez
   6. Nicola Reynolds
   7. Ramy Ragheb
   8. Ernest Laue
   9. Brian Hendrich

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This work offers important insights into the protein CHD4's function in chromatin remodeling and gene regulation in embryonic stem cells, supported by extensive biochemical, genomic, and imaging data. The use of an inducible degron system allows precise functional analysis, and the datasets generated represent a key resource for the field. While some interpretations of complex data could be more strongly substantiated, the study overall provides compelling evidence and makes a significant contribution to understanding CHD4's role in epigenetic regulation. This work will be of interest to the epigenetics and stem biology fields.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Endosome-associated Rab GTPases control distinct aspects of neural circuit assembly

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Katherine X. Dong
   2. Hui Ji
   3. David J. Luginbuhl
   4. Liqun Luo
   5. Colleen N. McLaughlin

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     Dong et al. present a valuable analysis of mutant phenotypes of the Rab GTPases Rab5, Rab7, and Rab11 in Drosophila second-order olfactory neuron development. This is a solid characterization and comparison of the different Rab mutants on projection neuron development, with clear differences for the three Rabs, and by inference for the early, late, and recycling endosomal functions executed by each.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Redirection of SARS-CoV-2 to phagocytes by intranasal sACE2-Fc as a universal decoy confers complete prophylactic protection

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Jingyi Wang
   2. Jiangchuan Li
   3. Alex W. Chin
   4. Bin Luo
   5. Junkang Wei
   6. Jiale Qiu
   7. Jianwei Ren
   8. Yin Xia
   9. Thomas Braun
   10. Leo L.M. Poon
   11. Bo Feng

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This manuscript presents a valuable antiviral approach using an engineered ACE2-Fc fusion protein that demonstrates broad-spectrum neutralization capacity against SARS-CoV-2 variants and achieves significant prophylactic protection in animal models through a novel Fc-mediated phagocytosis mechanism. The study provides convincing evidence for protective efficacy through rigorous in vivo validation in mice, mechanistic characterization via biodistribution studies and macrophage depletion assays, and demonstration of antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis as the primary clearance mechanism. However, there are some gaps that require attention, including the need for comparison with a previously reported ACE2 decamer, inclusion of control molecules, insufficient discussion of potential limitations such as off-target binding and immunogenicity risks, and lack of clarity regarding certain methodological aspects.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Spatially heterogeneous inhibition projects sequential activity onto unique neural subspaces

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Andrew B. Lehr
   2. Arvind Kumar
   3. Christian Tetzlaff

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study uses mathematical modeling and analysis to address the question of how neural circuits generate distinct low-dimensional, sequential neural dynamics that can change on fast, behaviorally relevant timescales. The authors propose a circuit model in which spatially heterogeneous inhibition constrains network dynamics to sequential activity on distinct neural subspaces and allows top-down sequence selection on fast timescales. The study convincingly demonstrates how this mechanism could operate and makes predictions about connectivity patterns and dynamics.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Bivalent mRNA booster encoding virus-like particles elicits potent polyclass RBD antibodies in pre-vaccinated mice

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Chengcheng Fan
   2. Alexander A. Cohen
   3. Kim-Marie A. Dam
   4. Annie V. Rorick
   5. Ange-Célia I. Priso Fils
   6. Zhi Yang
   7. Priyanthi N. P. Gnanapragasam
   8. Luisa N. Segovia
   9. Kathryn E. Huey-Tubman
   10. Woohyun J. Moon
   11. Paulo J.C. Lin
   12. Pamela J. Bjorkman
   13. Magnus A. G. Hoffmann

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This report provides useful evidence that EABR mRNA is at least as effective as standard S mRNA vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccine. Although the methodology and the experimental approaches are solid, the inconsistent statistical significance throughout the study presents limitations in interpreting the results. Also, the absence of results showing possible mechanisms underlying the lack of benefit with EABR in the pre-immune makes the findings mostly observational.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Bidirectional translocation of actomyosin drives epithelial invagination in ascidian siphon tube morphogenesis

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Jinghan Qiao
   2. Pengyu Yu
   3. Hongzhe Peng
   4. Wenjie Shi
   5. Bo Li
   6. Bo Dong

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This useful study uses a combination of experimental and modeling approaches to investigate the role of actomyosin in epithelial invagination during Ciona siphon tube morphogenesis. Several types of solid quantitative analyses are presented, yet the evidence supporting the central claim of bidirectional translocation of actomyosin remains incomplete. Since epithelial invagination contributes to the morphogenesis of many developing organs, this work has the potential to appeal to both cell biologists and developmental biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Analysis of cancer mutations introduced into the Drosophila Notch Negative Regulatory Region uncovers a diversity of regulatory outcomes

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Hideyuki Shimizu
   2. Martin Baron

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study presents a technically rigorous and carefully controlled analysis of the signalling potential of cancer-associated gain-of-function Notch alleles. The work is clearly presented, and the experiments are robust, comprehensive, and well-controlled. While some data primarily establish the system or report negative findings, the comparative approach in a well-characterized model provides convincing mechanistic evidence for how these Notch variants function. This study will be of interest to researchers in both developmental and cancer biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Role of tankyrase scaffolding in the β-catenin destruction complex and WNT signaling

   This article has 17 authors:

   1. Qian Wang
   2. Liping Li
   3. Lin You
   4. Shuai Wang
   5. Lei Han
   6. Bingnan Wang
   7. Liping Yao
   8. Yong Lu
   9. Ilgen Mender
   10. Ann M Flusche
   11. Chiho Kim
   12. Nageswari Yarravarapu
   13. Andrew Lemoff
   14. Lawrence Lum
   15. Jerry W Shay
   16. Yonghao Yu
   17. Chuo Chen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study reports the development of the first tankyrase degrader and demonstrates its enhanced ability to inhibit β-catenin signaling compared to conventional tankyrase inhibitors. The evidence supporting the conclusions is comprehensive and convincing, based on rigorous biochemical and cellular analyses. The findings will be of broad interest to researchers studying Wnt signaling, protein degradation, and cancer biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Genomic privacy risks in GWAS summary statistics

    This article has 3 authors:

    1. Ao Lan
    2. Yudi Pawitan
    3. Xia Shen

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This important study provides a theoretical framework for quantifying privacy risk from publicly shared genome-wide association summary statistics. The findings reveal the conditions under which genotype reconstruction may become feasible, challenging long-held assumptions about personal data safety. While the evidence is solid, supported by clear mathematical derivations and simulations, validation on large empirical datasets would further strengthen the claims.

    Reviewed by eLife