eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Life-history trade-offs explain local adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana

   This article has 21 authors:

   1. Benjamin Brachi
   2. Danièle L Filiault
   3. Rahul Pisupati
   4. Tal Dahan-Meir
   5. Anna Igolkina
   6. Alison Anastasio
   7. Mathew S Box
   8. Susan Duncan
   9. Talia L Karasov
   10. Envel Kerdaffrec
   11. Laura Merwin
   12. Timothy C Morton
   13. Viktoria Nizhynska
   14. Polina Yu Novikova
   15. Fernando Rabanal
   16. Takashi Tsuchimatsu
   17. Torbjörn Säll
   18. Caroline Dean
   19. Svante Holm
   20. Joy Bergelson
   21. Magnus Nordborg

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This manuscript reports a large series of experiments to investigate specific aspects of plant adaptation, leveraging genetic and genomic resources of Arabidopsis thaliana. The study provides convincing evidence for local adaptation in this highly selfing plant. This is an important dataset contributing to the developing understanding of non-linear selection in plants and beyond.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Life-cycle-related gene expression patterns in the brown algae

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Pélagie Ratchinski
   2. Olivier Godfroy
   3. Benjamin Noel
   4. Jean-Marc Aury
   5. J Mark Cock

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This manuscript presents an in-depth analysis of gene expression across multiple brown algal species with differing life histories, providing convincing evidence for the conservation of life cycle-specific gene expression. While largely descriptive, the study is an important step forward in understanding the core cellular processes that differ between life cycle phases, and its findings will be of broad interest to developmental and evolutionary biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. A three-dimensional immunofluorescence atlas of the brain of the hackled-orb weaver spider, Uloborus diversus

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Gregory Artiushin
   2. Abel Corver
   3. Andrew Gordus

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study provides a 3D standardised anatomical atlas of the brain of an orb-weaving spider. The authors describe the brain's shape and its inner compartments - the neuropils - and add information on the distribution of a number of neuroactive substances such as transmitters and neuropeptides. Through the use of histological and microscopy methods, the authors provide a more complete view of an arachnid brain than previous studies and also present convincing evidence about the organisation and homology of brain regions. The work will serve as a reference for future studies on spider brains and will enable comparisons of brain regions with insects so that the evolution of these structures can be inferred across arthropods.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Enhanced Tactile Coding in Rat Neocortex Under Darkness

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Kotaro Yamashiro
   2. Shiyori Tanaka
   3. Nobuyoshi Matsumoto
   4. Yuji Ikegaya

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents useful findings on how the transient absence of visual input (i.e., darkness) affects tactile neural encoding in the somatosensory cortex. The evidence supporting the authors' claims is incomplete, as key conclusions rely on subtle differences in surface roughness discriminability between sensory conditions, whose physiological underpinnings remain unclear. Potential methodological confounds are also not fully addressed. With additional analyses and methodological clarifications, this work could substantially inform neuroscientists studying cross-modal interactions.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Single-mRNA imaging and modeling reveal coupled translation initiation and elongation rates

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Irene Lamberti
   2. Jeffrey A Chao
   3. Cédric Gobet
   4. Felix Naef

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study provides evidence for dynamic coupling between translation initiation and elongation that can help maintain low ribosome density and translational homeostasis. The authors combine single-molecule imaging with a new approach to analyze mRNA translation kinetics using Bayesian modeling. This work is overall solid, but certain key aspects and model assumptions could be strengthened.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. A Conserved Mycobacterial Nucleomodulin Hijacks the Host COMPASS Complex to Reprogram Pro-Inflammatory Transcription and Promote Intracellular Survival

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Liu Chen
   2. Baojie Duan
   3. Pingping Chen
   4. Qiang Jiang
   5. Yifan Wang
   6. Lu Lu
   7. Yingyu Chen
   8. Changmin Hu
   9. Lei Zhang
   10. Aizhen Guo

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study provides solid evidence that MgdE, a conserved mycobacterial nucleomodulin, downregulates inflammatory gene transcription by interacting with the histone methyltransferase COMPASS complex and altering histone H3 lysine methylation. There are areas where the evidence could be strengthened, for example, GFP immunoblotting and examining MgdE localization during infection. To enhance impact, the authors could consider Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection experiments and/or reworking the manuscript to emphasize general relevance to microbiologists and cell biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Efficiency and localisation of AURKA degradation by PROTACs is modulated by deubiquitinases UCHL5 and target-selective OTUD6A

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Annabel Cardno
   2. Karen Roberts
   3. Catherine Lindon

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study describes a genetic screen to identify deubiquitinases (DUBs) that counteract the activity of small-molecule degraders (PROTACs). The presented data are valuable, identifying OTUD6A and UCHL5 as DUBs that impact the efficacy and potency of PROTACs. While the conclusions are broadly supported and the methods employed are solid, the mechanistic depth and validation are incomplete. Overall, these findings merit further evaluation by the targeted protein degradation community when developing and optimizing PROTACs.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. An aphid-resistant plant metabolite as a candidate aphicide: Insight into the bioactivity and action mode of betulin against aphids

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Junxiu Wang
   2. Matthana Klakong
   3. Qiuyu Zhu
   4. Jinting Pan
   5. Yudie Duan
   6. Lirong Wang
   7. Yong Li
   8. Jiangbo Dang
   9. Danlong Jing
   10. Hong Zhou

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents important findings on the insecticidal mechanism of betulin, a plant-derived metabolite, in controlling the aphid Myzus persicae and it provides a demonstration that betulin targets the GABA receptor in aphids, with strong supporting evidence from transcriptomic, biochemical, electrophysiological, and genetic approaches. In particular, the identification of a specific conserved residue (THR228) critical for betulin binding advances our understanding of insect neuropharmacology and offers translational potential for pest management strategies. The evidence supporting the primary claims is solid, with well-integrated methodologies and appropriate controls; however, some interpretative and methodological limitations remain, including the option to further explore off-target effects, as well as the broader evolutionary and ecological context. Addressing these points would strengthen the broader implications of the study.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Chromosome-scale genome assembly of the European common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Simone Rencken
   2. Georgi Tushev
   3. David Hain
   4. Elena Ciirdaeva
   5. Oleg Simakov
   6. Gilles Laurent

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This manuscript reports a high-quality genome assembly of the European cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, a representative species of the Cephalopod lineage. The data are based on current best practices for sequencing and genome assembly, including PacBio HiFi long reads and Hi-C chromatin conformation capture; the analysis is currently in parts incomplete, as further analyses are required to confirm the correct chromosome number. This genome will be a useful resource for the community of researchers interested in cuttlefish biology and comparative genomics in general.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. General Trends in the Calnexin-Dependent Expression and Pharmacological Rescue of Clinical CFTR Variants

    This article has 13 authors:

    1. Austin Tedman
    2. John A Olson
    3. Minsoo Kim
    4. Catherine Foye
    5. JaNise J Jackson
    6. Eli F McDonald
    7. Andrew G McKee
    8. Karen Noguera
    9. Charles P Kuntz
    10. Jens Meiler
    11. Kathryn Oliver
    12. Lars Plate
    13. Jonathan P Schlebach

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This important study systematically investigates the effects of calnexin, an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone, on the drug response of approximately 230 disease-causing variants of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. Through deep mutational scanning, interactome profiling, and functional assays, the findings provide convincing evidence that calnexin significantly influences both CFTR expression and the efficacy of corrector drugs in a variant-specific manner. These insights advance our understanding of how cellular quality control machinery shapes the pharmacological responsiveness of CFTR variants, which are broadly relevant for researchers in protein folding and genetic disease therapeutics.

    Reviewed by eLife