eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Rtf1 HMD domain facilitates global histone H2B monoubiquitination and regulates morphogenesis and virulence in the meningitis-causing pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Yixuan Jiang
   2. Ying Liang
   3. Fujie Zhao
   4. Zhenguo Lu
   5. Siyu Wang
   6. Yao Meng
   7. Zhanxiang Liu
   8. Jing Zhang
   9. Youbao Zhao

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This is an important study that connects the polymerase-associated factor 1 complex (Paf1C) with Histone 2B monoubiquitination and the expression of genes key to virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans. The provided information is convincing and has the potential to open several opportunities to further understand the basic biology of this significant human fungal pathogen.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Intrinsic properties link a network model to zebra finch song

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Nelson D Medina
   2. Dan Margoliash

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     In this manuscript the authors examine correlations between intrinsic electrophysiological properties of HVC neurons projecting to Area X and the temporal structure of the birds' song. The study provides important insights into how the structure of vocalization can relate to intrinsic physiological properties of the neurons that are essential for learning the behavior. The evidence supporting the idea that song temporal structure is related to intrinsic physiology is solid and this research will be of general interest to researchers in the field and neurophysiologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Ezrin defines TSC complex activation at endosomal compartments through EGFR–AKT signaling

   This article has 15 authors:

   1. Giuliana Giamundo
   2. Daniela Intartaglia
   3. Eugenio Del Prete
   4. Elena Polishchuk
   5. Fabrizio Andreone
   6. Marzia Ognibene
   7. Sara Buonocore
   8. Bruno Hay Mele
   9. Francesco Giuseppe Salierno
   10. Jlenia Monfregola
   11. Dario Antonini
   12. Paolo Grumati
   13. Alessandra Eva
   14. Rossella De Cegli
   15. Ivan Conte

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     Giamundo et al. present fundamental data with new insights into the role of Ezrin, a major membrane-actin linker that assembles signaling complexes, in the spatial regulation of EGF signaling mediators. The use of multiple state-of-the-art microscopy techniques, multiple cell lines and inhibitors, together with in vivo models convincingly supports the majority of their conclusions. The findings are helpful for understanding EGF/mTOR signal transduction and support a critical role for the scaffolding protein Ezrin in the upstream regulation of EGFR/AKT activity, TSC subcellular localization and mTORC1 signaling. These findings contribute substantially to understanding how endo-lysosomal signaling are regulated, alterations which are implicated in many human diseases.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Derivation and internal validation of prediction models for pulmonary hypertension risk assessment in a cohort inhabiting Tibet, China

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Junhui Tang
   2. Rui Yang
   3. Hui Li
   4. Xiaodong Wei
   5. Zhen Yang
   6. Wenbin Cai
   7. Yao Jiang
   8. Ga Zhuo
   9. Li Meng
   10. Yali Xu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study retrospectively analyzed clinical data to develop a risk prediction model for pulmonary hypertension in high-altitude populations. The evidence is solid, and the findings are useful and hold clinical significance as the model can be used for intuitive and individualized prediction of pulmonary hypertension risk in these populations.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Targeting the WSB2–NOXA axis in cancer cells for enhanced sensitivity to BCL-2 family protein inhibitors

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Dongyue Jiao
   2. Kun Chang
   3. Jiamin Jin
   4. Yingji Chen
   5. Mo Ren
   6. Yucong Zhang
   7. Kun Gao
   8. Yaoting Xu
   9. Lixin Wang
   10. Chenji Wang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study reports a fundamental observation concerning cell death regulation by the anti-apoptotic BCL2 family NOXA. The authors convincingly demonstrate that NOXA is destabilized through the interaction with WSB2, a substrate receptor in CRL5 ubiquitin ligase complex, sensitizing the cells to treatments. These are key findings for cell biologists and cancer researchers as they identified a new target impacting drug responsiveness in cancer therapies.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Chemogenetic stimulation of phrenic motor output and diaphragm activity

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Ethan S Benevides
   2. Prajwal P Thakre
   3. Sabhya Rana
   4. Michael D Sunshine
   5. Victoria N Jensen
   6. Karim Oweiss
   7. David D Fuller

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors report that chemogenetic methods targeting the ventral cervical spinal cord can be used to increase phrenic inspiratory motor output and subsequent diaphragm EMG activity and ventilation in rodents. These findings are important because they are a necessary first step towards using chemogenetic methods to drive inspiratory activity in disorders in which motor neurons are compromised, such as spinal injury and degenerative disease. The data are convincing, with rigorous assessments of phrenic inspiratory activity and its ability to drive the diaphragm and subsequent ventilation, as well as assessments of DREADD expression.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. CPT1A mediates radiation sensitivity in colorectal cancer

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Zhenhui Chen
   2. Lu Yu
   3. Zhihao Zheng
   4. Xusheng Wang
   5. Qiqing Guo
   6. Yuchuan Chen
   7. Yaowei Zhang
   8. Yuqin Zhang
   9. Jianbiao Xiao
   10. Keli Chen
   11. Hongying Fan
   12. Yi Ding

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study reports a valuable finding for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), as the authors demonstrated that the enzyme CPT1A plays an significant role in the response to radiotherapy in CRC patients. However, the reviewers found that the results presented are still incomplete.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Forecasting the spatial spread of an Ebola epidemic in real time: Comparing predictions of mathematical models and experts

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. James D Munday
   2. Alicia Rosello
   3. W John Edmunds
   4. Sebastian Funk

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This manuscript provides valuable evidence comparing the performance of mathematical models and opinions from experts engaged in outbreak response in forecasting the spatial spread of an Ebola epidemic. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing. It will be of interest to disease modellers, infectious disease epidemiologists, policy-makers, and those who need to inform policy-makers during an outbreak.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Early-life stress induces persistent astrocyte dysfunction associated with fear generalisation

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Mathias Guayasamin
   2. Lewis R Depaauw-Holt
   3. Ifeoluwa I Adedipe
   4. Ossama Ghenissa
   5. Juliette Vaugeois
   6. Manon Duquenne
   7. Benjamin Rogers
   8. Jade Latraverse-Arquilla
   9. Sarah Peyrard
   10. Anthony Bosson
   11. Ciaran Murphy-Royal

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important paper explores the impact of early life stress (ELS) on adult brain and behavior. The significance of the convincing findings are that they implicate regulation of non-neuronal cells in the development of brain and behavioral dysfunction associated with ELS. With an elegant combination of behavioral models, morphological and functional assessments using immunostaining, electrophysiology, and viral-mediated loss-of-function approaches, the authors report that astrocyte dysfunction plays a role in ELS responses. The work is of interest to a broad behavioral and cellular neuroscience audience.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Ventral tegmental area interneurons revisited: GABA and glutamate projection neurons make local synapses

    This article has 7 authors:

    1. Lucie Oriol
    2. Melody Chao
    3. Grace J Kollman
    4. Dina S Dowlat
    5. Sarthak M Singhal
    6. Thomas Steinkellner
    7. Thomas S Hnasko

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This manuscript provides convincing evidence derived from diverse state-of-the-art approaches to suggest that non-dopaminergic projection neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) make local synapses. These important findings challenge the prevailing wisdom that VTA interneurons exclusively form local synaptic contacts and instead reveal that VTA neurons expressing interneuron markers also form long-range projections to forebrain targets such as the cortex, ventral pallidum, and nucleus accumbens. Given the importance of VTA interneurons to many models of VTA-linked behavioral functions, these findings have significant implications for our understanding of the neural circuits underlying reward, motivation, and addiction.

    Reviewed by eLife