eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. The mechanism of mammalian proton-coupled peptide transporters

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Simon M Lichtinger
   2. Joanne L Parker
   3. Simon Newstead
   4. Philip C Biggin

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study provides important insight into the mechanisms of proton-coupled oligopeptide transporters. It uses enhanced-sampling molecular dynamics (MD), backed by cell-based assays, revealing the importance of protonation of selected residues for PepT2 function. The simulation approaches are convincing, using long MD simulations, constant-pH MD and free energy calculations. Overall, the work has led to findings that will appeal to structural biologists, biochemists, and biophysicists studying membrane transporters.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Formation of a giant unilocular vacuole via macropinocytosis-like process confers anoikis resistance

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Jeongsik Kim
   2. Dahyun Kim
   3. Dong-Kyun Kim
   4. Sang-Hee Lee
   5. Wonyul Jang
   6. Dae-Sik Lim

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study reports the formation of a new organelle, called giant unilocular vacuole (GUVac), in mammary epithelial cells through a macropinocytosis-like process. The evidence supporting conclusions is convincing, using state-of-the-art cell biology techniques. This work will be of interest to cell biologists and contribute to the understanding of cell survival mechanisms against anoikis.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Spatiotemporal recruitment of the ubiquitin-specific protease USP8 directs endosome maturation

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Yue Miao
   2. Yongtao Du
   3. Baolei Wang
   4. Jingjing Liang
   5. Yu Liang
   6. Song Dang
   7. Jiahao Liu
   8. Dong Li
   9. Kangmin He
   10. Mei Ding

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The manuscript presents an important model for the field of endosome maturation, providing perspective on the role of the deubiquitinating enzyme UPS-50/USP8 in the process. The evidence presented in the paper is clear, incorporating well-designed experiments that suggest the dual actions of UPS-50 and USP8 in the conversion of early endosomes into late endosomes. Overall, the work is convincing and centers on an intriguing subject.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Structural analysis of the dynamic ribosome-translocon complex

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Aaron JO Lewis
   2. Frank Zhong
   3. Robert J Keenan
   4. Ramanujan S Hegde

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This landmark work by Lewis and Hegde represents the most significant breakthrough in membrane and secretory biogenesis in recent years. Their work reveals with outstanding clarity how nascent transmembrane segments can pass through the gate of Sec61 into the ER membrane through the coordinated motions of a conformationally and compositionally dynamic machine. Among many other insights, the authors discovered how a new factor, RAMP4, contributes to the formation and function of the lateral gate for certain substrates. The technical quality of the work is exceptional, setting the bar appropriately high.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Focal adhesion-derived liquid-liquid phase separations regulate mRNA translation

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Abhishek Kumar
   2. Keiichiro Tanaka
   3. Martin A Schwartz

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this valuable study, Kumar et al., provide evidence suggesting that the p130Cas drives the formation of condensates that sprout from focal adhesions to cytoplasm and suppress translation. Pending further substantiation, this study was found to be likely to provide previously unappreciated insights into the mechanisms linking focal adhesions to the regulation of protein synthesis and was thus considered to be of broad general interest. However, the evidence supporting the proposed model was incomplete; additional evidence is warranted to substantiate the relationship between p130Cas condensates and mRNA translation and establish corresponding functional consequences.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. A new potential strategy for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma treatment by generating serum-based antibodies from tumor-exposed mice

   This article has 1 author:

   1. Zheng Liu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study provides a valuable strategy for treating mouse cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (mCSCC) with serum derived from mCSCC-exposed mice. The exploration of serum-derived antibodies as a potential therapy for curing cancer is particularly promising but the study provides incomplete evidence for specific effects of mCSCC-binding serum antibodies. This study will be of interest to scientists seeking a novel immunotherapeutic strategy in cancer therapy.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Associative plasticity of granule cell inputs to cerebellar Purkinje cells

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Rossella Conti
   2. Céline Auger

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents valuable findings on an unresolved question of cerebellar physiology: Do synapses between Purkinje cells and granule cells, made by the ascending part of the granule cells' axon, have different properties than those made by parallel fibers? The authors conducted patch-clamp recordings on rat cerebellar slices and found a new type of plasticity in the synapses of the ascending part of granule cell axons. The experiments are well-designed with appropriate controls, and the study provides solid evidence for the new form of cerebellar synaptic plasticity.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Targeting resident astrocytes attenuates neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Qing Zhao
   2. Yanjing Zhu
   3. Yilong Ren
   4. Lijuan Zhao
   5. Jingwei Zhao
   6. Shuai Yin
   7. Haofei Ni
   8. Rongrong Zhu
   9. Liming Cheng
   10. Ning Xie

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study demonstrated that ablation of astrocytes in the lumbar spinal cord not only reduced neuropathic pain but also caused microglia activation. The findings presented add considerable value to the current understanding of the role of astrocyte elimination in neuropathic pain, offering convincing evidence that supports existing hypotheses and insights into the interactions between astrocytes and microglial cells, likely through IFN-mediated mechanisms

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Livestock abortion surveillance in Tanzania reveals disease priorities and importance of timely collection of vaginal swab samples for attribution

   This article has 15 authors:

   1. Felix Lankester
   2. Tito J Kibona
   3. Kathryn J Allan
   4. William de Glanville
   5. Joram J Buza
   6. Frank Katzer
   7. Jo E Halliday
   8. Blandina T Mmbaga
   9. Nick Wheelhouse
   10. Elisabeth A Innes
   11. Kate M Thomas
   12. Obed M Nyasebwa
   13. Emanuel Swai
   14. John R Claxton
   15. Sarah Cleaveland

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study reports the use of a surveillance approach in identifying emerging diseases, monitoring disease trends, and informing evidence-based interventions in the control and prevention of livestock abortions, as it relates to their public health implications. The data support the convincing finding that abortion incidence is higher during the dry season, and occurs more in cross-bred and exotic livestock breeds. Aetiological and epidemiological data can be generated through established protocols for sample collection and laboratory diagnosis. These findings are of potential interest to the fields of veterinary medicine, public health, and epidemiology.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Control of ciliary transcriptional programs during spermatogenesis by antagonistic transcription factors

    This article has 9 authors:

    1. Weihua Wang
    2. Junqiao Xing
    3. Xiqi Zhang
    4. Hongni Liu
    5. Xingyu Liu
    6. Haochen Jiang
    7. Cheng Xu
    8. Xue Zhao
    9. Zhangfeng Hu

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This valuable study presents data suggesting the critical roles of two ancient proteins, XAP5 and XAP5L, in regulating the transcriptional program of ciliogenesis during mouse spermatogenesis. The supporting data are solid, and this work will be of interest to biomedical researchers studying ciliogenesis and reproduction.

    Reviewed by eLife