Latest preprint reviews

1. The molecular infrastructure of glutamatergic synapses in the mammalian forebrain

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. J Peukes
   2. C Lovatt
   3. C Leistner
   4. J Boulanger
   5. DR Morado
   6. MJG Fuller
   7. W Kukulski
   8. F Zhu
   9. NH Komiyama
   10. JAG Briggs
   11. SGN Grant
   12. R Frank

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The study from Frank and colleagues reports potentially important cryo-EM observations of mouse glutamatergic synapses isolated from adult mammalian brains. The authors used a combination of mouse genetics to generate PSD95-GFP labeling in vivo, a rapid synaptosome isolation and cryo-protectant strategy, and cryogenic correlated light-electron microscopy (cryoCLEM) to record tomograms of synapses, which together provide convincing support for their conclusions. Controversially, the authors report that forebrain glutamatergic synapses do not contain postsynaptic "densities" (PSD), a defining feature of synapse structure identified in chemically-fixed and resin-embedded brain samples. The work questions a long-standing concept in neurobiology and is primarily of interest to specialists in synaptic structure and function.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Desmodium Volatiles in “Push-Pull” Agriculture and Protection Against the Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Daria M Odermatt
   2. Frank Chidawanyika
   3. Daniel M Mutyambai
   4. Bernhard Schmid
   5. Luiz A Domeignoz-Horta
   6. Amanuel Tamiru
   7. Meredith C Schuman

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     Research on push-pull systems often focuses on controlled environments, limiting our understanding of their effectiveness under real-world conditions. This important study has validated how push-pull systems work in natural settings. However, the manuscript remains incomplete, since the findings have only been partially supported, as acknowledged by the authors.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Svep1 orchestrates distal airway patterning and alveolar differentiation in murine lung development

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. N Foxworth
   2. J Wells
   3. S Ocaña-Lopez
   4. S Muller
   5. P Bhayani
   6. J Denegre
   7. K Palmer
   8. W Memishian
   9. T McGee
   10. SA Murray
   11. PK Donahoe
   12. CJ Bult
   13. M Loscertales

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This is an important piece of work that sheds light on our understanding of early lung development. There is solid evidence that there is a key new role for Svep1, which may be acting via FGF9. A more precise understanding of the interactions between Svep1 and FGF9, with a possibility of other ECM factors, would add value.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Ventral Morphology and Ecological Implications of Cindarella eucalla (Artiopoda, Xandarellida) from Chengjiang Biota, China

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Maoyin Zhang
   2. Yu Liu
   3. Huijuan Mai
   4. Michel Schmidt
   5. Xianguang Hou

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The study presents a very well-illustrated specimens of the artiopodan Cindarella eucalla from the Chengjiang Biota, using computer tomography (CT) scanning to illustrate multiple specimens with preserved appendages, a rarity in artiopodans. The description of these fossils is important for expanding our understanding of this taxon and its relatives. The imaging and morphological description are followed by a discussion of how this morphology relates to other Cambrian arthropods and its potential ecological function. The evidence provided in this section about resulting function and ecology is presently incomplete and the conclusions are put forward too strongly. This assessment could be improved if the work is revised with more careful wording and additional data.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Early and Delayed STAT1-Dependent Responses Drive Local Trained Immunity of Macrophages in the Spleen

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Aryeh Solomon
   2. Noa Bossel Ben-Moshe
   3. Dotan Hoffman
   4. Sebastien Trzebanski
   5. Dror Yehezkel
   6. Leia Vainman
   7. Mihai Netea
   8. Roi Avraham

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important work advances our understanding of trained immunity, especially in the context of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) administration and host-pathogen interactions. The evidence supporting the conclusions are convincing, based on a combination of state-of-the-art omics techniques such as bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing with the use of JAK/STAT signaling inhibitors. The work will be of broad interest to immunologists and infection biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Crispant analysis in zebrafish as a tool for rapid functional screening of disease-causing genes for bone fragility

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Sophie Debaenst
   2. Tamara Jarayseh
   3. Hanna de Saffel
   4. Jan Willem Bek
   5. Matthieu Boone
   6. Ivan Josipovic
   7. Pierre Kibleur
   8. Ronald Young Kwon
   9. Paul J. Coucke
   10. Andy Willaert

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The paper presents a new pipeline for functional validation of genes known to underlie fragile bone disorders, using CRISPR-mediated knockouts and a number of phenotypic assessments in zebrafish. The solid data demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the approach, which presents a valuable tool for rapid functional validation of candidate gene(s) associated with heritable bone diseases identified from genetic studies.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. ORMDL3 restrains type-I interferon signaling and anti-tumor immunity by promoting RIG-I degradation

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Qi Zeng
   2. Chen Yao
   3. Shimeng Zhang
   4. Yizhi Mao
   5. Jing Wang
   6. Ziyang Wang
   7. Chunjie Sheng
   8. Shuai Chen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The research has the potential to be a valuable addition to the field, and the conclusions are solid, but there is a need for more reproducible data to address existing discrepancies and enhance its impact.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. A single microRNA miR-195 rescues the arrested B cell development induced by EBF1 deficiency

   This article has 19 authors:

   1. Yuji Miyatake
   2. Tomokatsu Ikawa
   3. Ryo Yanagiya
   4. Ryutaro Kotaki
   5. Kazuaki Kameda
   6. Ryo Koyama-Nasu
   7. Kazuki Okuyama
   8. Ken-ichi Hirano
   9. Hiroyuki Hosokawa
   10. Katsuto Hozumi
   11. Masato Ohtsuka
   12. Takahiro Kishikawa
   13. Chikako Shibata
   14. Motoyuki Otsuka
   15. Reo Maruyama
   16. Kiyoshi Ando
   17. Tomohiro Kurosaki
   18. Hiroshi Kawamoto
   19. Ai Kotani

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This useful study reports that the exogenous expression of the microRNA miR-195 can partially compensate in early B cell development for the loss of EBF1, one of the key transcription factors in B cells. While this finding will be of interest to those studying lymphocyte development, the evidence, particularly with regard to the molecular mechanisms that underpin the effect of miR-195, is currently incomplete.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Evolution of novel mimicry polymorphisms through Haldane’s sieve and rare recombination

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Riddhi Deshmukh
   2. Saurav Baral
   3. Athulya Girish Kizhakke
   4. Muktai Kuwalekar
   5. Krushnamegh Kunte

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study provides new and nuanced insights into the evolution of morphs in a textbook example of Batesian mimicry. The evidence supporting the claims about the origin and dominance relationships among morphs is convincing, but the interpretation of signals needs improvement with complementary analysis and some nuanced interpretation. Pending a revision, this work will be of interest to a broad range of evolutionary biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Altered thymic niche synergistically drives the massive proliferation of malignant thymocytes

    This article has 3 authors:

    1. Erika Tsingos
    2. Advaita M Dick
    3. Baubak Bajoghli

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This valuable study combines agent-based modelling and in vivo experiments in medaka embryos to provide new insights into the role of the thymic niche in T cell development. The modelling yields some interesting findings regarding the importance of thymic epithelial cells, for some of which the evidence is incomplete. This study would be of interest to oncologists, immunologists, and mathematical modelers.

    Reviewed by eLife