Latest preprint reviews

1. Endogenous FGFs drive ERK-dependent cell fate patterning in 2D human gastruloids

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Kyoung Jo
   2. Zong-Yuan Liu
   3. Gauri Patel
   4. Zhiyuan Yu
   5. LiAng Yao
   6. Seth Teague
   7. Craig Johnson
   8. Jason Spence
   9. Idse Heemskerk

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This work is an important contribution to understanding the role of FGF signaling in the induction of primitive-like cells in a 2D system of human gastrulation. The authors provide compelling evidence showing that endogenous FGF ligands, acting through FGF receptors localized basolaterally, are determinant in the acquisition of a primitive streak cell fate. These observations will be of broad relevance to the FGF field.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. A macroevolution-inspired approach to reveal novel antibiotic resistance mechanisms

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Luiz Pedro de Carvalho
   2. Fernanda Subtil
   3. Teresa Machado
   4. Holly Douglas
   5. Joanna Kirkpatrick
   6. Mark Skehel
   7. Acely Garza-Garcia

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study introduces an approach to discovering antibiotic resistance determinants by leveraging diverse susceptibility profiles among related mycobacterial species, with particular relevance to high-level resistance against natural product-derived antibiotics. The research provides convincing evidence for the role of ADP-ribosylation enzymes in rifamycin resistance among mycobacteria, whilst also demonstrating that antibiotic susceptibility is not correlated with growth rate or intracellular compound concentration. Although some broader claims require additional experimental support, this work lays a significant foundation for understanding the complexity of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in mycobacteria and opens new avenues for future antimicrobial research.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Coordinated Tbx3 / Tbx5 transcriptional control of the adult ventricular conduction system

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Ozanna Burnicka-Turek
   2. Katy A Trampel
   3. Brigitte Laforest
   4. Michael T Broman
   5. Zoheb Khan
   6. Eric Rytkin
   7. Binjie Li
   8. Ella Schaffer
   9. Margaret Gadek
   10. Kaitlyn M Shen
   11. Igor R Efimov
   12. Ivan P Moskowitz

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The work presented is important for our understanding of the development of the cardiac conduction system and its regulation by T-box transcription factors. The conclusions are supported by convincing data. Overall this is an excellent study that advances our understanding of cardiac biology and has implications beyond the immediate field of study.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Adaptive Integration of Perceptual and Reward Information in an Uncertain World

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Prashanti Ganesh
   2. Radoslaw M Cichy
   3. Nicolas W Schuck
   4. Carsten Finke
   5. Rasmus Bruckner

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study by Ganesh and colleagues examined how both the value and salience of sensory information can affect economic decision-making. The results provide insights into how different sources of uncertainty found in the real world, including those related to the perception of objects and those related to values associated with objects, can together influence decision-making behavior in systematic ways. The evidence is solid but overlaps with previous studies and could be improved by clarifying novelty and experimental details and considering additional models.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. An ancient competition for the conserved branchpoint sequence influences physiological and evolutionary outcomes in splicing

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Karen Larissa Pereira de Castro
   2. Jose M Abril
   3. Kuo-Chieh Liao
   4. Haiping Hao
   5. John Paul Donohue
   6. William K Russell
   7. W Samuel Fagg

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important manuscript provides insights into the competition between Splicing Factor 1 (SF1) and Quaking (QKI) for binding at the ACUAA branch point sequence in a model intron, regulating exon inclusion. The study employs rigorous transcriptomic, proteomic, and reporter assays, with both mammalian cell culture and yeast models. Nevertheless, while the data are convincing, broadening the analysis to additional exons and narrowing the manuscript's title to better align with the experimental scope would strengthen the work.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. The Shigella flexneri effector IpaH1.4 facilitates RNF213 degradation and protects cytosolic bacteria against interferon-induced ubiquitylation

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Luz Saavedra-Sanchez
   2. Mary S Dickinson
   3. Shruti Apte
   4. Yifeng Zhang
   5. Maarten de Jong
   6. Samantha Skavicus
   7. Nicholas S Heaton
   8. Neal M Alto
   9. Jörn Coers

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors report that a secreted ubiquitin ligase of Shigella, called IpaH1.4, mediates the degradation of a host defense factor, RNF213. The data are solid and represent an important contribution to our understanding of cell-autonomous immunity and bacterial pathogenesis, as they provide new mechanistic insight into how the cytosolic bacterial pathogen Shigella flexneri evades IFN-induced host immunity.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. MuSK-BMP signaling in adult muscle stem cells maintains quiescence and regulates myofiber size

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Laura A Madigan
   2. Diego Jaime
   3. Isabella Chen
   4. Justin R Fallon

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study provides solid support for the participation of the BMP-binding domain of MuSK, a tyrosine kinase mostly known for its role at the neuromuscular junction, in the maintenance and activation of muscle stem cells (SCs). These mononucleated cells, located between the muscle fiber basal lamina and its plasma membrane, are normally quiescent, but following muscle damage, become activated, proliferate, and mediate muscle regeneration. These cells are known to respond to a variety of signaling pathways, but this study makes the case for BMP acting via binding to MuSK in maintaining the quiescent state.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Acute Activation of Genes Through Transcriptional Condensates Impact Non-target Genes in a Chromatin Domain

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Darshika Bohra
   2. Zubairul Islam
   3. Sundarraj Nidharshan
   4. Aprotim Mazumder
   5. Dimple Notani

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors use single molecule imaging and in vivo loop-capture genomic approaches to investigate estrogen mediated enhancer-target gene activation in human cancer cells. These potentially important results suggest that ER-alpha can, in a temporal delay, activate a non-target gene TFF3, which is in proximity to the main target gene TFF1, even though the estrogen responsive enhancer does not loop with the TFF3 promoter. To explain these results, the authors invoke a transcriptional condensate model. The reviewers were split on the strength and interpretation of the evidence presented, which is considered incomplete at this stage. We encourage a revision which buttresses the findings with additional control experiments and careful consideration of alternative explanations and mathematical models. Further, the depth of the discussion on existing literature could be improved. This work will be of interest to those studying transcriptional gene regulation and hormone-aggravated cancers.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Glucokinase activity controls subpopulations of β-cells that alternately lead islet Ca2+ oscillations

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Erli Jin
   2. Jennifer K Briggs
   3. Richard KP Benninger
   4. Matthew J Merrins

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides convincing evidence for functional subpopulations of β-cells responsible for Ca2+ signal initiation and maintenance using novel three-dimensional light sheet microscopy imaging and analysis of pancreatic islets. The findings are important as they help decode the mechanistic underpinnings of islet calcium oscillations and the resulting pulsatile insulin secretion. The work will be of general interest to cell biologists and of particular interest to islet biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. The Rab7-Epg5 and Rab39-ema modules cooperately position autophagosomes for efficient lysosomal fusions

    This article has 10 authors:

    1. Attila Boda
    2. Villő Balázs
    3. Anikó Nagy
    4. Dávid Hargitai
    5. Mónika Lippai
    6. Zsófia Simon-Vecsei
    7. Márton Molnár
    8. Fanni Fürstenhoffer
    9. Gábor Juhász
    10. Péter Lőrincz

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This paper presents valuable findings on how autophagosomes are positioned along microtubules for their efficient fusion with lysosomes, providing significant insights into the mechanism. The evidence supporting the conclusions is solid, with high-quality fluorescence microscopy combined with Drosophila genetics. This work will be of broad interest to cell biologists interested in autophagy and related cell biology fields.

    Reviewed by eLife