eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Information, certainty, and learning

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Justin A Harris
   2. Charles Randy Gallistel

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This paper presents fundamental research showing that the acquisition and expression of Pavlovian conditioned responding are lawfully related to temporal characteristics of an animal's conditioning experience. It showcases a rigorous experimental design, several different approaches to data analysis, careful consideration of prior literature, and a thorough introduction. The evidence supporting the conclusions is compelling. The paper will have a general appeal to those interested in the behavioral and neural analysis of Pavlovian conditioning.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. CXXC-finger protein 1 associates with FOXP3 to stabilize homeostasis and suppressive functions of regulatory T cells

   This article has 16 authors:

   1. Xiaoyu Meng
   2. Yezhang Zhu
   3. Kuai Liu
   4. Yuxi Wang
   5. Xiaoqian Liu
   6. Chenxin Liu
   7. Yan Zeng
   8. Shuai Wang
   9. Xianzhi Gao
   10. Xin Shen
   11. Jing Chen
   12. Sijue Tao
   13. Qianying Xu
   14. Linjia Dong
   15. Li Shen
   16. Lie Wang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents important findings on the role of CXXC-finger protein 1 in regulatory T cell gene regulation and function. The evidence supporting the authors' claims is convincing, with mostly state-of-the-art technology. The work will be of relevance to immunologists interested in regulatory T cell biology and autoimmunity.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Emergence of alternative stable states in microbial communities undergoing horizontal gene transfer

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Juken Hong
   2. Wenzhi Xue
   3. Teng Wang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This manuscript offers valuable theoretical predictions on how horizontal gene transfer (HGT) can lead to alternative stable states in microbial communities. Using a modeling framework, solid theoretical evidence is provided to support the claimed role of HGT. However, given that the model has many degrees of freedom, a more comprehensive analysis of the role of different parameters could strengthen the study. Additionally, potential interactions between plasmids that carry out HGT are not discussed in the model. This paper would be of interest to researchers in microbiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Layer 6 corticocortical neurons are a major route for intra- and interhemispheric feedback

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Simon Weiler
   2. Manuel Teichert
   3. Troy W Margrie

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study compares the cortical projections to primary motor and sensory areas originating from the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres. Results show that, while there is substantial symmetry between the two hemispheres regarding the areas sending projections to these primary cortical areas, contra-hemispheric projections had more inputs from layer 6 neurons than ipsi-projecting ones. The evidence is compelling and the conclusions are supported by rigorous analyses.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Synaptic cell adhesion molecule Cdh6 identifies a class of sensory neurons with novel functions in colonic motility

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Julieta Gomez-Frittelli
   2. Gabrielle Frederique Devienne
   3. Lee Travis
   4. Melinda A Kyloh
   5. Xin Duan
   6. Tim J Hibberd
   7. Nick J Spencer
   8. John R Huguenard
   9. Julia A Kaltschmidt

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study characterizes the molecular signatures and function of a type of enteric neuron (IPAN) in the mouse colon, identifying molecular markers (Cdh6 and Cdh8) for these cells. A battery of compelling and comprehensive experimental findings suggests data from other species are likely translatable to mice, bridging the abundant literature from humans and other mammals into this experimentally tractable animal model. This work will be of interest to scientists studying the motor control of the colon and more generally the enteric neuromuscular system.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Salmonella exploits host- and bacterial-derived β-alanine for replication inside host macrophages

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Shuai Ma
   2. Bin Yang
   3. Yuyang Sun
   4. Xinyue Wang
   5. Houliang Guo
   6. Ruiying Liu
   7. Ting Ye
   8. Chenbo Kang
   9. Jingnan Chen
   10. Lingyan Jiang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors use a multidisciplinary approach to provide a link between Beta-alanine and S. Typhimurium (STM) infection and virulence. This valuable work shows how Beta-alanine synthesis mediates zinc homeostasis regulation, possibly contributing to virulence. The work is convincing as it adds to the existing knowledge of metabolic flexibility displayed by STM during infection.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. PDZ-directed substrate recruitment is the primary determinant of specific 4E-BP1 dephosphorylation by PP1-Neurabin

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Roman O Fedoryshchak
   2. Karim El-Bouri
   3. Dhira Joshi
   4. Stephane Mouilleron
   5. Richard Treisman

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study reports on a basis for neurabin-mediated specification of substrate choice by protein phosphatase-1. The data from the comprehensive approach using structural, biochemical, and computational methods are compelling. This paper is broadly relevant to those investigating various cellular signaling cascades that entail phosphorylation as the main mechanism.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Estimating bone marrow adiposity from head MRI and identifying its genetic architecture

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Tobias Kaufmann
   2. Pål Marius Bjørnstad
   3. Martin Falck
   4. Stener Nerland
   5. Kevin O’Connell
   6. Oleksandr Frei
   7. Ole A Andreassen
   8. Lars T Westlye
   9. Srdjan Djurovic
   10. Timothy Hughes

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This solid paper reports on the use of artificial intelligence to assess bone marrow adipose tissue in the skull. The method employing MRI is novel and that approach allows for the identification of genetic loci that regulate this trait as well as others using data from the UK biobank. Overall this is an important contribution although the authors should consider several points: 1-validation of the T1-weighted MRI signal intensity; 2-further discussion of the sex differences; and 3-cross-trait linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) for osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, and cognitive function.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Neurons throughout the brain embed robust signatures of their anatomical location into spike trains

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Gemechu Bekele Tolossa
   2. Aidan M Schneider
   3. Eva Dyer
   4. Keith B Hengen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This paper provides a useful systematic quantification of the relationship between electrophysiological response properties of single neurons with their position in the brain. The quality of the classification setup is high and the methodology is solid.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. The chromokinesin Kid (KIF22) forms a homodimer, moves processively along microtubules and transports double-stranded DNA

    This article has 5 authors:

    1. Shinsuke Niwa
    2. Natsuki Furusaki
    3. Tomoki Kita
    4. Yuki Suzuki
    5. Kyoko Chiba

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This important study clarifies the mechanism by which the kinesin-10 motor protein, chromosome-associated kinesin, Kid (KIF22), enables chromosome movement during mitosis, demonstrating that human and Xenopus Kid proteins function as processive, homodimeric kinesins capable of processive microtubule plus-end motility. The convincing work highlights that Kid can recruit and transport duplex DNA along microtubules via its conserved C-terminal DNA binding domain, revising our understanding of chromokinesins' role in chromosome motility during mitosis. It will be of interest to those in the molecule motor community working at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels.

    Reviewed by eLife