eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Investigating working memory updating processes of the human subcortex using 7T MRI

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Anne C Trutti
   2. Zsuzsika Sjoerds
   3. Russell J Boag
   4. Solenn LY Walstra
   5. Steven Miletić
   6. Scott JS Isherwood
   7. Pierre-Louis Bazin
   8. Bernhard Hommel
   9. Sarah Habli
   10. Desmond HY Tse
   11. Asta K Håberg
   12. Birte U Forstmann

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study uses high-field fMRI to test the hypothesized involvement of subcortical structures, particularly the striatum, in updating working memory. The study overcomes limitations of prior work by applying high-field imaging with a more precise definition of regions of interest in the brain. Thus, the empirical observations are of use to specialists interested in working memory gating or the reference back task specifically. The evidence is generally solid, but strong conclusions on dopaminergic contributions must await additional work using molecular imaging or related techniques.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Multisensory integration enhances audiovisual responses in the Mauthner cell

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Santiago Otero-Coronel
   2. Thomas Preuss
   3. Violeta Medan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides valuable advances in our understanding of how inputs from multiple sources can impact the physiology of motor neurons during the process of multisensory integration. Specifically, the authors show how streams of auditory and principally visual information modulate the physiology of Mauthner neurons in goldfish, thus allowing the different senses to influence escape behavior. Supporting evidence is generally convincing, although material reporting the direct control of behavior is less representative of the data.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Specific Sensitivity to Rare and Extreme Events: Quasi-Complete Black Swan Avoidance vs Partial Jackpot Seeking in Rat Decision-Making

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Mickaël Degoulet
   2. Louis-Matis Willem
   3. Christelle Baunez
   4. Stéphane Luchini
   5. Patrick A Pintus

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study represents an important contribution to the study of decision-making under risk, bringing an interdisciplinary approach spanning economic theory, behavioral neuroscience, and computational modeling to test how choice preference is influenced by rare and extreme events. The authors present evidence that rats are indeed sensitive to these rare and extreme events despite their infrequent occurrence, driven primarily by an almost complete avoidance of "Black Swans" - rare and extreme losses. The evidence for specific sensitivity to rare and extreme events however remains incomplete, owing in part to the difficulty of isolating the effect of these events beyond that arising from risk preferences more generally in both task design and in the computational modeling of the choice behavior. Given the approach here brings a relatively novel perspective, with a more detailed treatment of these confounds this paper will be of broad interest to those seeking to understand animal behavior through the lens of economic choice.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Sequential temporal anticipation characterized by neural power modulation and in recurrent neural networks

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Xiangbin Teng
   2. Ru-Yuan Zhang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This valuable study provides insights into how the brain learns to better detect a target by predicting when the target may appear. Overall, solid evidence is provided that the power fluctuations of alpha- and beta-band oscillations can reflect the predicted occurrence time of the target, but some conclusions, especially ones related to the neural-network model and temporal gain control account, need further consideration. The study highlights an advanced EEG analysis approach as well as a close combination of human EEG analysis and computational modeling using recurrent neural networks.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. A systematic bi-genomic split-GFP assay illuminates the mitochondrial matrix proteome and protein targeting routes

   This article has 14 authors:

   1. Yury S Bykov
   2. Solene Zuttion
   3. Dunya Edilbi
   4. Marina Polozova
   5. Johanna Arnold
   6. Sergey Malitsky
   7. Maxim Itkin
   8. Bruno Senger
   9. Ofir Klein
   10. Yeynit Asraf
   11. Hadar Meyer
   12. Hubert D Becker
   13. Roza Kucharczyk
   14. Maya Schuldiner

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study represents a valuable addition to the catalog of mitochondrial proteins. With the use of methodology based on the bi-genomic split-GFP technology, the authors generate convincing data, including dually localized proteins and topological information, under various growth conditions in yeast. The study represents a key basis for further functional and/or mechanistic studies on mitochondrial protein biogenesis.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Tryptanthrin Analogs Substoichiometrically Inhibit Seeded and Unseeded Tau4RD Aggregation

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Ellie I James
   2. David W Baggett
   3. Edcon Chang
   4. Joel Schachter
   5. Thomas Nixey
   6. Karoline Choi
   7. Miklos Guttman
   8. Abhinav Nath

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study provides a valuable contribution to the development of small molecules that inhibit the aggregation of tau, a protein involved in several neurodegenerative diseases. The authors present convincing evidence that analogs of the plant alkaloid tryptanthrin can prevent the formation of larger aggregates by targeting the early stages of tau oligomerization. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms of action and to provide a detailed kinetic analysis. This work will be of interest to biochemists and biophysicists focused on designing small molecules to inhibit fibril formation.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Endosomal-lysosomal organellar assembly (ELYSA) structures coordinate lysosomal degradation systems through mammalian oocyte-to-embryo transition

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Yuhkoh Satouh
   2. Takaki Tatebe
   3. Isei Tanida
   4. Junji Yamaguchi
   5. Yasuo Uchiyama
   6. Ken Sato

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This paper reports important findings on giant organelle complexes containing endosomes and lysosomes (termed endosomal-lysosomal organelles form assembly structures [ELYSAs]) present in mouse oocytes and 1- to 2-cell embryos. The data showing the localization and dynamics of ELYSAs during oocyte/embryo maturation are convincing. This work will be of interest to general cell biologists and developmental biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Characterization of binding kinetics and intracellular signaling of new psychoactive substances targeting cannabinoid receptor using transition-based reweighting method

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Soumajit Dutta
   2. Diwakar Shukla

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     A combination of molecular dynamics simulation and state-of-the-art statistical post-processing techniques provided valuable insight into GPCR-ligand dynamics. This manuscript provides solid evidence for differences in the binding/unbinding of classical cannabinoid drugs from new psychoactive substances. The results could aid in mitigating the public health threat these drugs pose.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Endocannabinoids and their receptors modulate endometriosis pathogenesis and immune response

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Harshavardhan Lingegowda
   2. Katherine B Zutautas
   3. Yuhong Wei
   4. Priyanka Yolmo
   5. Danielle J Sisnett
   6. Alison McCallion
   7. Madhuri Koti
   8. Chandrakant Tayade

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents valuable findings on how the endocannabinoid system is involved in endometriosis progression using CNR1 and CNR2 knockout (KO) mouse models. The evidence supporting the authors' claims is incomplete; including bulk RNA-seq, flow cytometry, and imaging mass cytometry would have strengthened the study. This work might be of interest to medical scientists working on endometriosis.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Chronic hyperactivation of midbrain dopamine neurons causes preferential dopamine neuron degeneration

    This article has 17 authors:

    1. Katerina Rademacher
    2. Zak Doric
    3. Dominik Haddad
    4. Aphroditi Mamaligas
    5. Szu-Chi Liao
    6. Rose Creed
    7. Kohei Kano
    8. Zac Chatterton
    9. Yuhong Fu
    10. Joseph H Garcia
    11. Victoria M Vance
    12. Yoshitaka J Sei
    13. Anatol Kreitzer
    14. Glenda Halliday
    15. Alexandra B Nelson
    16. Elyssa Margolis
    17. Ken Nakamura

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This manuscript shows that chronic chemogenetic excitation of dopaminergic neurons in the mouse midbrain results in differential degeneration of axons and somas across distinct regions (SNc vs VTA). These findings are important for two reasons. This approach can be used as a mouse model for Parkinson's Disease without the need for the infusion of toxins (e.g. 6-OHDA or MPTP) — this mouse model also has the advantage of showing axon-first degeneration over a time course (2–4 weeks) that is suitable for experimental investigation. Also, the findings that direct excitation of dopaminergic neurons causes differential degeneration sheds light on the mechanisms of dopaminergic neuron selective vulnerability. The evidence that activation of dopaminergic neurons causes degeneration, alters motor behavior, and alters mRNA expression is convincing. This is an exciting paper that will have an impact on the Parkinson's Disease field.

    Reviewed by eLife