eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Testosterone-induced metabolic changes in seminal vesicle epithelium modify seminal plasma components with potential to improve sperm motility

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Takahiro Yamanaka
   2. Zimo Xiao
   3. Natsumi Tsujita
   4. Mahmoud Awad
   5. Takashi Umehara
   6. Masayuki Shimada

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important work elucidates the biological processes and detailed mechanisms by which testosterone influences seminal plasma metabolites in mice. The evidence supporting the upregulation of metabolic enzymes and the role of ACLY is solid, highlighting the potential contributions of fatty acids to sperm motility.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Bacterial exonuclease III expands its enzymatic activities on single-stranded DNA

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Hao Wang
   2. Chen Ye
   3. Qi Lu
   4. Zhijie Jiang
   5. Chao Jiang
   6. Chun Zhou
   7. Na Li
   8. Caiqiao Zhang
   9. Guoping Zhao
   10. Min Yue
   11. Yan Li

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This manuscript highlights single-stranded DNA exo- and endo-nuclease activities of ExoIII as a potential caveat and an underestimated source of decreased efficiency in its use in biosensor assays. The data present solid evidence for the ssDNA nuclease activity of ExoIII and identifies residues that contribute to it. The findings are useful, but some aspects in the study remain incomplete.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Disruption in CYLC1 leads to acrosome detachment, sperm head deformity, and male in/subfertility in humans and mice

   This article has 15 authors:

   1. Hui-Juan Jin
   2. Yong Fan
   3. Xiaoyu Yang
   4. Yue Dong
   5. Xiao-Zhen Zhang
   6. Xin-Yan Geng
   7. Zheng Yan
   8. Ling Wu
   9. Meng Ma
   10. Bin Li
   11. Qifeng Lyu
   12. Yun Pan
   13. Mingxi Liu
   14. Yanping Kuang
   15. Su-Ren Chen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     Spermiogenesis is a complex process allowing the emergence of specific sperm organelle, including the acrosome, a sperm giant vesicle of secretion. This important study reports the key role of Cylicin-1 in acrosome biogenesis and identifies the molecular partners necessary for acrosome anchoring. The compelling demonstration is based on infertile patient samples and two animal models. Overall, this provides results that will be invaluable to the male reproduction community, including scientists and andrologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Unbiased identification of cell identity in dense mixed neural cultures

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Sarah De Beuckeleer
   2. Tim Van De Looverbosch
   3. Johanna Van Den Daele
   4. Peter Ponsaerts
   5. Winnok H De Vos

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents an important application of high-content image-based morphological profiling to quantitatively and systematically characterize induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mixed neural cultures cell type compositions. Exceptional evidence through rigorous experimental and computational validations support new potential applications of this cheap and simple assay.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. The intrinsically disordered N-terminus of SUMO1 is an intramolecular inhibitor of SUMO1 interactions

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Sebastian M Richter
   2. Fan Jin
   3. Tobias Ritterhoff
   4. Aleksandra Fergin
   5. Eric Maurer
   6. Andrea Frank
   7. Michael Daube
   8. Alex Hajnal
   9. Rachel Klevit
   10. Frauke Gräter
   11. Annette Flotho
   12. Frauke Melchior

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This work demonstrates an important regulatory role of the N-terminal disordered tail of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins, which modulate the function of various proteins in eukaryotic cells. The authors present convincing evidence that the N-terminal tail of SUMO inhibits SUMO's interaction with downstream effector proteins and SUMOylation targets, and that this regulatory mechanism depends on the SUMO paralogue or the phosphorylation of the N-terminal tail. This discovery significantly advances the field by providing a possible explanation of how SUMO paralogues select their effectors and SUMOylation targets.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Serine hydroxymethyl transferase is a binding target of caprylic acid: Uncovering a novel molecular target for a herbicide and for producing caprylic acid-tolerant crops

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Zuren Li
   2. Mugui Wang
   3. Haodong Bai
   4. Hongzhi Wang
   5. Jincai Han
   6. Likun An
   7. Dingfeng Luo
   8. Yingying Wang
   9. Wei Kuang
   10. Xiaoyi Nie
   11. Lianyang Bai

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents a valuable contribution towards understanding the protein target and mechanism of action of an herbicide, which could be applied to the development of herbicide-based technologies to improve crop yields. Evidence is gathered using a variety of technical approaches that enrich and support the findings, but the methodology and the presentation of the results are incomplete.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Cas12f1 gene drives propagate efficiently in herpesviruses and induce minimal resistance

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Zhuangjie Lin
   2. Qiaorui Yao
   3. Keyuan Lai
   4. Kehua Jiao
   5. Xianying Zeng
   6. Guanxiong Lei
   7. Tongwen Zhang
   8. Hongsheng Dai

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This valuable paper by Yao, Dai, and colleagues describes a viral gene drive against herpes simplex virus 1 in cell culture. The authors provided solid evidence that an engineered gene drive sequence, expressing either spCas9 or Un1Cas12f1 nuclease, could spread efficiently in the population of wild-type viruses and induce fewer drive-resistant mutations than spCas9. Limitations include a mechanistically inaccurate title, several methodologic flaws, and a paucity of descriptions of possible therapeutic applications.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Bacillus velezensis HBXN2020 alleviates Salmonella Typhimurium infection in mice by improving intestinal barrier integrity and reducing inflammation

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Linkang Wang
   2. Haiyan Wang
   3. Xinxin Li
   4. Mengyuan Zhu
   5. Dongyang Gao
   6. Dayue Hu
   7. Zhixuan Xiong
   8. Xiangmin Li
   9. Ping Qian

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     In this useful study, Wang and colleagues investigate the potential probiotic effects of Bacillus velezensis in a murine model. They provide convincing evidence that B. velezensis limits the growth of Salmonella typhimurium in lab culture and in mice, together with beneficial effects on the microbiota. The overall presentation of the manuscript has improved and the work will be of interest to infectious disease researchers.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Atlas of Fshr expression from novel reporter mice

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Hongqian Chen
   2. Hui-Qing Fang
   3. Jin-Tao Liu
   4. Shi-Yu Chang
   5. Li-Ben Cheng
   6. Ming-Xin Sun
   7. Jian-Rui Feng
   8. Ze-Min Liu
   9. Yong-Hong Zhang
   10. Clifford J Rosen
   11. Peng Liu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     These valuable findings develop a mouse model with trackable fusion Fshr protein, which will be of use to the field. The animal model helps to elucidate the expression and function of the FSH receptor in extra-gonadal tissues. The strength of the evidence is solid in most parts, although additional validation of the localization data would strengthen the study considerably.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Early steps of protein disaggregation by Hsp70 chaperone and class B J-domain proteins are shaped by Hsp110

    This article has 7 authors:

    1. Wiktoria Sztangierska
    2. Hubert Wyszkowski
    3. Maria Pokornowska
    4. Klaudia Kochanowicz
    5. Michal Rychłowski
    6. Krzysztof Liberek
    7. Agnieszka Kłosowska

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      This study provides an important insight into the mechanisms of cooperation between Hsp70 and its cochaperones during reactivation of aggregated proteins. Based on convincing evidence, the authors demonstrate that the co-chaperone Hsp110 boosts disaggregation activity by enhancing Hsp70 recruitment to protein aggregates. This work is of broad interest to biochemists and cell biologists working in the protein homeostasis field.

    Reviewed by eLife