eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. A human forebrain organoid model reveals the essential function of GTF2IRD1-TTR-ERK axis for the neurodevelopmental deficits of Williams syndrome

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Xingsen Zhao
   2. Qihang Sun
   3. Yikai Shou
   4. Weijun Chen
   5. Mengxuan Wang
   6. Wenzheng Qu
   7. Xiaoli Huang
   8. Ying Li
   9. Chao Wang
   10. Yan Gu
   11. Chai Ji
   12. Qiang Shu
   13. Xuekun Li

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     Zhao et al. report valuable adverse effects on cell proliferation, differentiation and gene expression, possibly linked to reduced binding activity of the transcription factor GTF2IRD1 to the transthyretin (TTR) promoter, in a human forebrain organoid model of Williams Syndrome (WS). The authors provide incomplete evidence of the effects of GTF2IRD1, a mutated gene in WS, on altering MAPK/ERK pathway activity, a well-recognized target in cell proliferation.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. RAG suppresses group 2 innate lymphoid cells

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Aaron M Ver Heul
   2. Madison Mack
   3. Lydia Zamidar
   4. Masato Tamari
   5. Ting-Lin Yang
   6. Anna M Trier
   7. Do-Hyun Kim
   8. Hannah Janzen-Meza
   9. Steven J Van Dyken
   10. Chyi-Song Hsieh
   11. Jenny M Karo
   12. Joseph C Sun
   13. Brian S Kim

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides new insights into the expression profile of ILCs that demonstrate a history of RAG expression. It examines in part the potential intrinsic regulation of RAG expression and seeks to understand how the epigenetic state of ILCs is established, although a full understanding of intrinsic factors is only partially supported. The work provides a convincing and important molecular dataset, and strengthens our understanding of intrinsic regulation, and would be of interest more broadly to cell biologists seeking to understand immune cell development.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Fast evolutionary turnover and overlapping variances of sex-biased gene expression patterns defy a simple binary sex classification of somatic tissues

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Chen Xie
   2. Sven Künzel
   3. Diethard Tautz

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents data on sex differences in gene expression across organs of four mice taxa. The authors have generated a unique and convincing dataset that fills a gap left by previous studies. They claim that sex-biased expression in the soma can overlap between genetic males and females, and that the relevant patterns both turn over quickly over short evolutionary times and do so faster in somatic than gonadal tissues. These conclusions could largely have been predicted by extrapolating from previous findings in the field, but nevertheless demonstrating them directly is a fundamental advance.

     [Editorial note: The work was originally assessed by colleagues who are active in the field of evolution of sex differences or in areas adjacent to this field (see initial assessment at https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.99602.2). The appeals process involved consultation with experts working in other areas of evolutionary biology. The above assessment synthesises the opinions of both sets of reviewers.]

   Reviewed by eLife, Arcadia Science

4. IL-2 enhances effector function but suppresses follicular localization of CD8+ T cells in chronic infection

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Yaping Chen
   2. Pengcheng Zhou
   3. Patrick Marc Gubser
   4. Yew Ann Leong
   5. Jing He
   6. Yunbo Wei
   7. Fadzai Victor Makota
   8. Mehrdad Pazhouhandeh
   9. Ting Zheng
   10. Joseph Yunis
   11. Zhanguo Li
   12. Axel Kallies
   13. Di Yu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This paper provides valuable findings related to the impact and timing of exogenous interleukin 2 on the balance of exhausted (Tex) versus effector (Teff) that differentiate from precursors T cells (Tpex) during chronic viral infection. While the data appear solid, the overall claims that IL-2 suppresses Tpex are only partially supported, with the rationale for the timing of IL-2 treatment and its underlying mechanisms remaining unclear.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 interacts with TEAD to suppress Hippo-YAP signaling

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Fansen Meng
   2. Jong Hwan Kim
   3. Chang-Ru Tsai
   4. Jeffrey D Steimle
   5. Jun Wang
   6. Yufeng Shi
   7. Rich G Li
   8. Bing Xie
   9. Vaibhav Deshmukh
   10. Shijie Liu
   11. Xiao Li
   12. James F Martin

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study elucidates the molecular function of the SARS-CoV-2 helicase NSP13, which inhibits the transcriptional activity of the YAP/TEAD complex in vitro and in vivo. The evidence supporting the authors' claims is compelling, based on cell biological assays and multi-omic studies. This work contributes to the understanding of the new regulatory mechanism of YAP/TEAD after SARS-CoV-2 infection and will be of interest to researchers investigating COVID-19 infection and the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Additional feedforward mechanism of Parkin activation via binding of phospho-UBL and RING0 in trans

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Dipti Lenka
   2. Shakti Dahe
   3. Odetta Antico
   4. Pritiranjan Sahoo
   5. Alan R. Prescott
   6. Miratul M. K. Muqit
   7. Atul Kumar

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This is a useful manuscript describing the competitive binding between Parkin domains to define the importance of dimerization in the mechanism of Parkin regulation and catalytic activity. The evidence supporting the importance of Parkin dimerization for an 'in trans' model of Parkin activity described in this manuscript is solid, but lacks more stringent and biochemical characterization of competitive binding that could provide more direct evidence to support the author's conclusions. This work will be of interest to those focused on defining the molecular mechanisms involved in ubiquitin ligase interactions, PINK-Parkin-mediated mitophagy, and mitochondrial organellar quality control.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. A comparative study of the cryo-EM structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Ester Vazquez-Fernandez
   2. Jing Yang
   3. Ziguo Zhang
   4. Antonina E Andreeva
   5. Paul Emsley
   6. David Barford

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study provides compelling data that defines the structure of the S. cerevisiae APC/C. The structure reveals overall conservation of its mechanism of action compared to the human APC/C but some important differences that indicate that activation by co-activator binding and phosphorylation are not identical to the human APC/C. Thus this study will be of considerable value to the field.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. AARS2 ameliorates myocardial ischemia via fine-tuning PKM2-mediated metabolism

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Zongwang Zhang
   2. Lixia Zheng
   3. Yang Chen
   4. Yuanyuan Chen
   5. Junjie Hou
   6. Chenglu Xiao
   7. Xiaojun Zhu
   8. Shi-Min Zhao
   9. Jing-Wei Xiong

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study highlights the essential role of AARS2 in safeguarding cardiomyocytes against ischemic stress by modulating energy metabolism towards glycolysis via PKM2. This mechanism unveils a promising new therapeutic target for treating myocardial infarction. Convincing findings are underpinned by a comprehensive dataset, including cardiomyocyte-specific genetic modifications, functional assays, and ribosome profiling, all collectively providing strong evidence for the critical involvement of the AARS2-PKM2 signalling pathway in cardiac protection.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Semantic plasticity across timescales in the human brain

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Sarah H Solomon
   2. Kendrick Kay
   3. Anna C Schapiro

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This valuable study investigates how the human brain flexibly adjusts its representations of the world as the environment continually changes. It utilizes a unique dataset in which participants view thousands of natural scenes across many fMRI sessions over multiple months. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is incomplete, with statistical inference not always warranted. The study would interest a broad readership in cognitive neuroscience.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Specific presynaptic functions require distinct Drosophila Cav2 splice isoforms

    This article has 12 authors:

    1. Christopher Bell
    2. Lukas Kilo
    3. Daniel Gottschalk
    4. Jashar Arian
    5. Lea Deneke
    6. Hanna Kern
    7. Christof Rickert
    8. Oliver Kobler
    9. Julia Strauß
    10. Martin Heine
    11. Carsten Duch
    12. Stefanie Ryglewski

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      Cav2 voltage-gated calcium channels play key roles in regulating synaptic strength and plasticity. In contrast to mammals, invertebrates like Drosophila encode a single Cav2 channel, raising questions on how diversity in Cav2 is achieved from a single gene. Here, the authors present solid evidence that two alternatively spliced Cac isoforms enable important changes in Cav2 expression, localization, and function in synaptic transmission and plasticity at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. How the isoforms affect synaptic calcium channel levels remains less clear. This study provides insights into the roles of voltage-gated calcium channel splice isoforms in synaptic transmission.

    Reviewed by eLife