eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Regulation of sphingolipid synthesis by the C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor Com2 through ubiquitin-proteasome mediated degradation pathway

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Kosei Matsumoto
   2. Ayane Nagai
   3. Nao Komatsu
   4. Yuko Ishino
   5. Rina Shirai
   6. Toshiya Ueno
   7. Mio Masaki
   8. Ken-taro Sakata
   9. Motohiro Tani
   10. Tatsuya Maeda
   11. Naotaka Tanaka
   12. Mitsuaki Tabuchi

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides valuable insights into how cells maintain sphingolipid homeostasis through transcriptional control and regulated protein degradation in response to changes in sphingolipid levels. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing overall, with solid genetic and biochemical approaches, while some mechanistic aspects remain to be clarified. This work will be of interest to researchers studying lipid metabolism and membrane biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Allosteric disulfide control of ligand binding and endocytosis of the natural killer cell receptor for HLA-G

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Sumati Rajagopalan
   2. Joyce Chiu
   3. Jinghua Lu
   4. George M. Mastorakos
   5. Saurav Majumder
   6. Kristof Nolan
   7. Erin J. Adams
   8. Peter Sun
   9. Phillip J. Hogg
   10. Eric O. Long

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents important findings on the molecular mechanisms governing how the natural killer cell receptor KIR2DL4 interacts with HLA-G and undergoes internalization. The authors provide solid evidence for an allosteric disulfide-bond switch that regulates receptor activity, using a multifaceted approach that includes mutagenesis, mass spectrometry, and imaging. The work would be further strengthened by validating these mechanisms in primary immune cells and providing direct structural evidence for the proposed ligand-binding interface.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Binding Entropy Can Be Predicted by Crystallographic Ensembles

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Charlotte A. Miller
   2. Stephanie A. Wankowicz

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides a useful demonstration that, at least for the systems examined, aspects of the entropic contribution to protein-ligand binding can be inferred directly from crystallographic data. In doing so, it strengthens a view of crystal structures as heterogeneous ensembles that are amenable to statistical-mechanical analysis rather than purely static models. The analytical approaches are carefully developed and transparently discussed, with thoughtful consideration of both successful and less effective methods, lending solid support to the central conclusions. However, because the analysis is based on a relatively small and narrowly sampled set of protein-ligand complexes, the generality of these findings remains speculative and will require broader validation.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Brainwide dopamine dynamics across sleep-wake transitions

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Changwan Chen
   2. Xun Tu
   3. Lihui Lu
   4. Cody Pham
   5. Xiaofan Zhang
   6. Rachel Su
   7. Ella Li
   8. Zihan Jin
   9. Wenqing Cao
   10. Yipching Yang
   11. Matthew Kihiczak
   12. Kristal Hui
   13. Dana Darmohray

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides important insights regarding the temporal dynamics of dopamine across sleep/wake transitions in several brain areas. Using multi-site fiber photometry combined with EEG/EMG recordings, the study revealed heterogenous dynamics across both cortical and several subcortical areas. Although the evidence for these observations is solid, evidence for the proposed mechanisms driving DA dynamics is incomplete. Overall, the study may have a substantial impact on several fields working on the neurobiology of DA signaling.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Actin-membrane interface stress regulates Arp2/3-branched actin density during lamellipodial protrusion

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Mitchell T. Butler
   2. Max A. Hockenberry
   3. Harrison H. Truscott
   4. Wesley R. Legant
   5. James E. Bear

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides direct and compelling evidence that lamellipodial protrusions dynamically adjust Arp2/3 complex incorporation in response to mechanical counterforces, while also modulating cellular responsiveness to upstream signals like Rac GTPase. By combining endogenous labeling, live-cell imaging, and optogenetic signaling activation, the work demonstrates how adhesion state and physicochemical perturbations reproducibly alter branched actin organization, offering a fundamental advance over previous works. The findings deliver significant insights that will resonate broadly with cell biologists and biochemists studying actin dynamics and mechanotransduction.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Light-entrained chromatin priming poises rapid metamorphosis in a marine sponge

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Huifang Yuan
   2. Oceane Blard
   3. Zac Pujic
   4. Bernard M Degnan
   5. Sandie M Degnan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     In this study, Yuan and colleagues perform transcriptomic and epigenomic experiments to study open chromatin regions and transcripts that change upon larval settlement in the sponge Amphimedon. The authors present compelling evidence to show that sponge larvae prepare for receiving an environmental cue (sunset) by extensively modifying their chromatin accessibility in the vicinity of genes that are going to be regulated during metamorphosis. The study represents a fundamental advance in understanding the fine genetic control of larval settlement and has significance beyond the immediate field of sponge larval biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. ATP-driven conformational dynamics reveal hidden intermediates in a heterodimeric ABC transporter

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Matija Pečak
   2. Christoph Nocker
   3. Robert Tampé

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The study presents important findings revealing previously unresolved conformational dynamics of the heterodimeric type IV ABC transporter TmrAB using single-molecule FRET. The evidence presented is solid, integrating careful experimental design with computational approaches to uncover states that are typically masked and difficult to detect. The work will be of interest to scientists studying the molecular mechanisms of primary active transport processes.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Evolutionary dynamics of insect odorant receptors reveal ecological tuning shaping olfactory perception

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Tianmin Zhang
   2. Xuanxiao Yang
   3. Yufang Fu
   4. Wei Xue
   5. Yifeng Zhang
   6. Suyang Duan
   7. Yangming Yin
   8. Yi Guo
   9. Chenxi Gao
   10. Yang Liu
   11. Gang Li
   12. Chang Xu
   13. Huimeng Lu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This large-scale comparative study of odorant receptor (OR) genes across more than 100 insect species, combining sequence- and structure-based approaches, aims to explore the evolution of this large gene family involved in the detection of odorant signals by olfactory neurons. This useful work uncovers a structural feature unique to the odorant receptor co-receptor Orco that reduces ligand binding affinity. However, the strength of evidence is incomplete: the pipeline for in silico identification of odorant receptor genes lacks validation through comparison with known odorant receptor repertoires from previously studied species, and claims regarding odor response spectra, evolutionary, and ecological interpretations are not fully supported by the analyses.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Nicotine-driven hyperactivation of larval locomotion

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Stephanie Dancausse
   2. Jocelyn Robles
   3. Jenna Fitzpatrick
   4. Carolyn Garcia
   5. Oshani Fernando
   6. Anastasiia Evans
   7. James D. Baker
   8. Mason Klein

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The study presents useful findings on the behavioral effects of nicotine exposure, suggesting the Drosophila larva as a potential model organism for studying underlying neural circuits. However, the evidence supporting the claims of the authors is incomplete and would benefit from more rigorous analysis and explanations. The study falls short of identifying the neural mechanisms and is therefore of interest to those with an interest in pharmacology and behavior.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Ancestral secretory programs underlie the evolution of morphological innovations across Spiralia

    This article has 7 authors:

    1. Yitian Bai
    2. Kunyin Jiang
    3. Hong Yu
    4. Lingfeng Kong
    5. Shaojun Du
    6. Shikai Liu
    7. Qi Li

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This manuscript examines the evolution of molluscan shells using single-cell analyses of the adult mantle of Crassostrea gigas and compares these data with previous datasets from embryonic and larval stages of this species and other spiralians. The authors provide important support for a scenario in which secretory cells are broadly conserved across spiralians, and the incorporation of lineage-restricted genes contributes to the evolution of molluscan shells. While some of the conclusions of the authors are convincing, many aspects of the manuscript remain incomplete and could be improved, especially aspects of cell-type classification and validation.

    Reviewed by eLife