eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. PEBP1 amplifies mitochondrial dysfunction-induced integrated stress response

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Ling Cheng
   2. Ian Meliala
   3. Yidi Kong
   4. Jingyuan Chen
   5. Christopher G Proud
   6. Mikael Björklund

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     In this article, Cheng et al present an important finding that advances the understanding of mitochondrial stress response(s). The authors employed mass spectrometry-based methods in conjunction with standard molecular and cellular biology techniques to provide compelling evidence that phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 (PEBP1) acts as a pivotal regulator of the mitochondrial component of integrated stress response. Notwithstanding that this discovery is likely to be of significant interest to researchers across a broad spectrum of disciplines ranging from cell biology to neuroscience, it was thought that further mechanistic dissection of the role of PEBP1 in modulating integrated stress response may further strengthen this study.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Genome-wide identification of stable RNA-chromatin interactions

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Xingzhao Wen
   2. Sheng Zhong

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides a valuable look at genome-wide RNaseA-resistant RNA-DNA interactions in human embryonic stem cells. The research indicated that RNase treatment maintained long-range RNA-chromatin connections characterized by significant sequence conservation while abolishing permissive interactions. Interestingly, coding and non-coding RNA transcripts exhibited differing sensitivity to RNase treatment. Although the study findings reveal an intriguing RNase-inaccessible regulatory RNA-chromatin interactome, conclusions about the identity and regulatory significance of RNase-resistant RNA-chromatin interactions are incomplete and would benefit from more rigorous approaches that include additional computational and experimental controls.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Conformational dynamics and asymmetry in multimodal inhibition of membrane-bound pyrophosphatases

   This article has 16 authors:

   1. Jianing Liu
   2. Anokhi Shah
   3. Xinyu Liu
   4. Joshua L Wort
   5. Yue Ma
   6. Katie Hardman
   7. Niklas G Johansson
   8. Orquidea Ribeiro
   9. Adam Brookfield
   10. Alice Bowen
   11. Jari Yli-Kauhaluoma
   12. Henri Xhaard
   13. Lars JC Jeuken
   14. Adrian Goldman
   15. Christos Pliotas
   16. Keni Vidilaseris

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study uncovers the mechanism of inhibition of a membrane pyrophosphatase by non-hydrolyzable phosphonate substrate analogs. Convincing crystallography, EPR spectroscopy, and functional measurements support the presence of a distinct conformational equilibrium of TmPPase in solution, and further supports the notion of asymmetric inhibitor binding at the active site, while maintaining a symmetric conformation at the periplasmic interface.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Inhibition of p38-MK2 pathway enhances the efficacy of microtubule inhibitors in breast cancer cells

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Yu-Chia Chen
   2. Mamoru Takada
   3. Aerica Nagornyuk
   4. Muhan Yu
   5. Hideyuki Yamada
   6. Takeshi Nagashima
   7. Masayuki Ohtsuka
   8. Jennifer G DeLuca
   9. Steven M Markus
   10. Motoki Takaku
   11. Aussie Suzuki

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides valuable findings that MK2 inhibitor CMPD1 can inhibit the growth, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is solid, although the detailed molecular mechanism and additional animal experiments would strengthen the paper. This study will be of interest to the breast cancer field.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. PDL-1+ Neutrophils mediate susceptibility during endotoxemia in Metabolically Dysfunctional-Associated Fatty Liver Disease

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Cleyson da Cruz Oliveira Barros
   2. Alexandre Kanashiro
   3. Gabriel Victor Lucena da Silva
   4. Paulo Sérgio de Almeida Augusto
   5. Guilherme Cesar Martelossi Cebinelli
   6. Luiz Osório Leiria
   7. Thiago Mattar Cunha
   8. José Carlos Alves Filho
   9. Fernando Queiroz Cunha

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study highlights the key role of NK cells and PD-L1+ neutrophils in worsening sepsis responses in the context of MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis). It focused on the role of neutrophils in mediating this effect, which is based on a choline-deficient high-fat diet model of various knockouts or selective ablation of immune cell types. While the data presented are of great interest, there are concerns around the reliability of the strength of the evidence provided, which is currently considered incomplete. The study may be of interest to researchers in immunopathological disease mechanisms once confirmatory studies have been completed.

     [Editors' note: the authors no longer have access to the original flow cytometry data and plan to compile new datasets in the future.]

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Most Beefalo cattle have no detectable bison genetic ancestry

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Beth Shapiro
   2. Jonas Oppenheimer
   3. Michael P Heaton
   4. Kristen L Kuhn
   5. Richard E Green
   6. Harvey D Blackburn
   7. Timothy PL Smith

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study used whole-genome data to investigate Beefalo ancestry for the first time, providing insight into the genetics of Beefalo cattle and challenging the long-held claim of 37.5% bison ancestry reported by the American Beefalo Association. Despite some limitations regarding sequencing depth and sampling, the expert use of a comprehensive set of population-genomic methods allowed the authors to demonstrate convincingly that Beefalo and bison hybrid ancestry profiles are consistent with repeated backcrossing to either parental species. The work will be of significant interest to evolutionary biologists, population geneticists, animal breeders, and those involved in the conservation genetics of bovine species.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Quantifying feral pig interactions to inform disease transmission networks

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Tatiana Proboste
   2. Abigail Turnlund
   3. Andrew Bengsen
   4. Matthew Gentle
   5. Cameron Wilson
   6. Lana Harriott
   7. Richard A Fuller
   8. Darren Marshall
   9. Ricardo J Soares-Magalhaes

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors aimed to quantify feral pig interactions in eastern Australia to inform disease transmission networks. They used GPS tracking data from 146 feral pigs across multiple locations to construct proximity-based social networks and analyze contact rates within and between pig social units. This fundamental study shows that targeting adult males in feral pig control programs could help global efforts to contain disease. The methods are compelling and the paper should be of interest to the fields of veterinary medicine, public health, and epidemiology.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Variation in albumin glycation rates in birds suggests resistance to relative hyperglycaemia rather than conformity to the pace of life syndrome hypothesis

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Adrián Moreno Borrallo
   2. Sarahi Jaramillo Ortiz
   3. Christine Schaeffer-Reiss
   4. Benoît Quintard
   5. Benjamin Rey
   6. Pierre Bize
   7. Vincent A Viblanc
   8. Thierry Boulinier
   9. Olivier Chastel
   10. Jorge S Gutiérrez
   11. José A Masero
   12. Fabrice Bertile
   13. Francois Criscuolo

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study uses extensive comparative analysis to examine the relationship between plasma glucose levels, albumin glycation levels, and diet and life history, within the framework of the "pace of life syndrome" hypothesis. The evidence that glucose is positively correlated with glycation levels and lifespan is convincing and, although there are some limitations related to data collection, they likely make the statistically significant findings more conservative. As the first extensive comparative analysis of glycation rates, life history, and glucose levels in birds, the study has the potential to be of interest to evolutionary ecologists and the aging research community more broadly.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. An H3-K9-me-independent binding of Swi6/HP1 to siRNA-DNA hybrids initiates heterochromatin assembly at cognate dg-dh repeats in Fission Yeast

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Jyotsna Kumar
   2. Swati Haldar
   3. Neelima Gupta
   4. Viney Kumar
   5. Manisha Thakur
   6. Keerthivasan Raanin Chandradoss
   7. Debarghya Ghose
   8. Dipak Dutta
   9. Kuljeet Singh Sandhu
   10. Jagmohan Singh

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study aims to investigate the RNA binding activities of a conserved heterochromatin protein (Swi6) and proposes an entirely new model for how heterochromatin formation is initiated in fission yeast. While the concept is interesting, the data provided are inadequate, both for support of the claims regarding the new RNA binding activities and for support of the new model. The paper requires extensive editing as well as the inclusion of numerous experiments with appropriately controlled conditions.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Small-molecule activation of TFEB alleviates Niemann–Pick disease type C via promoting lysosomal exocytosis and biogenesis

    This article has 8 authors:

    1. Kaili Du
    2. Hongyu Chen
    3. Zhaonan Pan
    4. Mengli Zhao
    5. Shixue Cheng
    6. Yu Luo
    7. Wenhe Zhang
    8. Dan Li

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This study reports that activation of TFEB promotes lysosomal exocytosis and clearance of cholesterol from lysosomes, the strength of evidence for which is convincing with appropriate and validated methodology in line with current state-of-the-art. The significance of the findings is important in the context of Niemann-Pick Disease Type C as well as other subfields.

    Reviewed by eLife