eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Nanophysiology approach reveals diversity in calcium microdomains across zebrafish retinal bipolar ribbon synapses

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Nirujan Rameshkumar
   2. Abhishek P Shrestha
   3. Johane M Boff
   4. Mrinalini Hoon
   5. Victor Matveev
   6. David Zenisek
   7. Thirumalini Vaithianathan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The study introduces new tools for measuring the intracellular calcium concentration close to transmitter release sites, which may be relevant for synaptic vesicle fusion and replenishment. This approach yields important new information about the spatial and temporal profile of calcium concentrations near the site of entry at the plasma membrane. This experimental work is complemented by a coherent, open-source, computational model that successfully describes changes in calcium domains. The conclusions are solid and well supported by the data.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Founder effects arising from gathering dynamics systematically bias emerging pathogen surveillance

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Bradford P Taylor
   2. William P Hanage

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important theoretical study introduces an extension to the commonly used SIR model for infectious disease dynamics, to explicitly consider the role of larger group sizes. Instead of the commonly used individual-based network models, the authors developed a simplified approach based on group sampling, with discrete high- and low-risk groups, which makes the results easier to produce and interpret, at the cost of less detail in the model. The evidence is convincing in terms of the soundness of the theoretical projections and the impact that accounting for group sizes may have on inferences from surveillance data. However, it has not yet been demonstrated that the predictions provide more realistic projections when based on real-world data.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Structural insights into heterohexameric assembly of epilepsy-related ligand–receptor complex LGI1–ADAM22

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Takayuki Yamaguchi
   2. Kei Okatsu
   3. Masato Kubota
   4. Ayuka Mitsumori
   5. Atsushi Yamagata
   6. Yuko Fukata
   7. Masaki Fukata
   8. Mikihiro Shibata
   9. Shuya Fukai

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     In this convincing work by Yamaguchi et al. the cryo-EM structure of the heterohexameric 3:3 LGI1-ADAM22 complex is presented. The findings suggest that LGI1 can cluster ADAM22 in a trimeric fashion. The clustering of cell surface proteins is important in controlling signaling in the nervous system. This new version of the manuscript has been improved substantially and the figures have been enhanced and clarified.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Motor unit mechanisms of speed control in mouse locomotion

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Kyle Thomas
   2. Rhuna Gibbs
   3. Hugo Marques
   4. Megan R Carey
   5. Samuel J Sober

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study characterises the activity of motor units from two of the three anatomical subdivisions ("heads") of the triceps muscle while mice walked on a treadmill at various speeds. Altogether, this is the most thorough characterisation of motor unit activity in walking mice to date, providing solid evidence for probabilistic recruitment of motor units that differed between the two heads.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Descending locus coeruleus noradrenergic signaling to spinal astrocyte subset is required for stress-induced mechanical pain hypersensitivity

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Riku Kawanabe-Kobayashi
   2. Sawako Uchiyama
   3. Kohei Yoshihara
   4. Keisuke Koga
   5. Daiki Kojima
   6. Thomas J McHugh
   7. Izuho Hatada
   8. Ko Matsui
   9. Kenji F Tanaka
   10. Makoto Tsuda

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study identifies a novel role for Hes5+ astrocytes in modulating the activity of descending pain-inhibitory noradrenergic neurons from the locus coeruleus during stress-induced pain facilitation. The role of glia in modulating neurological circuits including pain is poorly understood, and in that light, the role of Hes5+ astrocytes in this circuit is a key finding with broader potential impacts. This work is supported by convincing evidence, albeit somewhat limited by the indirect nature of the evidence linking adenosine to nearby neuronal modulation, and possible questions on the population specificity of the transgenic approach.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Understanding Pain in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Health Risks and Treatment Effectiveness

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Tess Cherlin
   2. Stephanie Mohammed
   3. Sasha Ottey
   4. Katherine Sherif
   5. Shefali S Verma

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents valuable findings on the increased prevalence of pain in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and its relationship to health outcomes. The evidence supporting the conclusions is compelling with a large number of patients and sound methodology, and can be used as a starting point for studies of etiology and mechanisms of pain in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and comorbidities. The work will be of interest to medical biologists working on polycystic ovary syndrome pathophysiology and clinicians.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Transcriptional dynamics uncover the role of BNIP3 in mitophagy during muscle remodeling in Drosophila

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Hiroki Taoka
   2. Tadayoshi Murakawa
   3. Kohei Kawaguchi
   4. Michiko Koizumi
   5. Tatsuya Kaminishi
   6. Yuriko Sakamaki
   7. Kaori Tanaka
   8. Akihito Harada
   9. Keiichi Inoue
   10. Tomotake Kanki
   11. Yasuyuki Ohkawa
   12. Naonobu Fujita

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This paper presents the important finding that BNIP3/NIX, a mitophagy receptor, and its binding to ATG18 are required for mitophagy during muscle cell reorganization in Drosophila. Although the involvement of the BNIP3-ATG18/WIPI axis in mitophagy induction has been reported in mammalian cell culture systems, this study provides the first compelling evidence for this pathway in vivo in animals. The physiological significance of this BNIP3-dependent mitophagy will require further investigation.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Tissue-resident memory CD4+ T cells are sustained by site-specific levels of self-renewal and continuous replacement

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Jodie Chandler
   2. M Elise Bullock
   3. Arpit C Swain
   4. Cayman Williams
   5. Christiaan H van Dorp
   6. Benedict Seddon
   7. Andrew J Yates

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This paper provides a compelling and rigorous quantitative analysis of the turnover and maintenance of CD4+ tissue-resident memory T cell clones, in the skin and the lamina propria. It provides a fundamental advance in our understanding of CD4 T cell regulation. Interestingly, in both tissues, maintenance involves an influx from progenitors on the time scale of months. The evidence that is based on fate mapping and mathematical inference is strong, although open questions on the interpretation of the Ki67-based fate mapping remain.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Functional specialization of mPFC–BLA and mPFC–NAc pathways in affective state representation

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Chien-Hsien Lai
   2. Gyeongah Park
   3. Pan Xu
   4. Xiaoqian Sun
   5. Qian Ge
   6. Zhen Jin
   7. Sarah Betts
   8. Xiaojie Liu
   9. Qingsong Liu
   10. Rahul Simha
   11. Chen Zeng
   12. Hui Lu
   13. Jianyang Du

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     Du et al. present a valuable study examining neural activation in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) subpopulations projecting to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) during behavioral tasks assessing anxiety, social preference, and social dominance. The strength of the evidence linking in vivo neural physiology to behavioral outcomes was considered solid; however, the electrophysiology data and their interpretation were less well received. Overall, the reviewers felt that the revised work provides insight into how distinct mPFC→BLA and mPFC→NAc pathways influence anxiety, exploration, and social behaviors.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Brief disruption of activity in a subset of dopaminergic neurons during consolidation impairs long-term memory by fragmenting sleep

    This article has 14 authors:

    1. Lin Yan
    2. Litao Wu
    3. Timothy D Wiggin
    4. Xiaojuan Su
    5. Wei Yan
    6. Hailiang Li
    7. Lei Li
    8. Zhonghua Lu
    9. Yuantao Li
    10. Zhiqiang Meng
    11. Fang Guo
    12. Fan Li
    13. Leslie C Griffith
    14. Chang Liu

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This study approaches an important topic providing insight into the neuronal circuitry that interconnects memory consolidation and sleep. The data were collected and analysed using a solid methodology, contributing new findings for neurobiologists working on how memories are stored and the roles of sleep. However, the data is incomplete to support the proposed role of the PAM-DPM circuits as the link between sleep state and long-term memory consolidation.

    Reviewed by eLife