eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Two neuropeptides that promote blood feeding in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Prashali Bansal
   2. Roshni Pillai
   3. Pooja D Babu
   4. Sonia Q Sen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This is a valuable study that integrates behavioral and molecular approaches to identify neuromodulators influencing blood-feeding behavior in the disease vector Anopheles stephensi. Through gene expression analyses across blood-seeking life stages and RNA interference experiments, the authors present solid evidence that co-knockdown of the neuromodulators short Neuropeptide F and RYamide affects blood-seeking states in A. stephensi. However, evidence demonstrating that these neuropeptides are sufficient to promote host-seeking is lacking.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Bilateral equalization of synaptic output in olfactory glomeruli of Xenopus tadpoles

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Marta Casas
   2. Beatrice Terni
   3. Artur Llobet

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This manuscript investigates inter-hemispheric interactions in the olfactory system of Xenopus tadpoles. Using a combination of electrophysiology, pharmacology, imaging, and uncaging, the transection of the contralateral nerve is shown to lead to larger odor responses in the unmanipulated hemisphere, and implicates dopamine signaling in this process. The study uses a rich and sophisticated array of tools to investigate olfactory coding and uncovers valuable mechanisms of signaling. However, the data is incomplete, with a few of the conclusions not being well-supported by the data; the interpretation should be adjusted with some caveats, or additional experiments should be done to support these conclusions.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Twice as nice: Boosts in adolescent reinforcement learning from Pavlovian bias and age-related prioritization of reward-motivated incidental memory

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Haley Hegefeld
   2. Juliet Y Davidow

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable developmental study provides intriguing but incomplete evidence suggesting that, relative to adults, the enhancement of instrumental learning by Pavlovian bias is most pronounced in adolescence, while reward-induced memory enhancements are strongest in childhood. Although the authors tackle a key aspect of learning and motivation with rigorous experimental methods and sophisticated modeling techniques, there are substantial concerns about the absence of relevant analyses, the lack of accord between model-based and exploratory analyses, and the lack of an explanation for how the results cohere with inconsistent findings in the literature.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. The nucleus accumbens shell regulates hedonic feeding via a rostral hotspot

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Alina-Măriuca Marinescu
   2. Eshita Kamal
   3. Peter Leary
   4. Keila Navarro I Batista
   5. Manuel Klug
   6. Nataša Savić
   7. Christelle Le Foll
   8. Marie A Labouesse

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides a valuable contribution to understanding the functional and molecular organization of the medial nucleus accumbens shell in feeding. Using in vivo imaging, optogenetics, and genetic engineering, the authors present solid evidence for a rostro-caudal gradient in D1-SPN activity that refines earlier pharmacological models. The identification of Stard5 and Peg10 as molecular markers and the creation of a Stard5-Flp line represent meaningful advances for future circuit-specific studies. While stronger integration of molecular and functional results and additional analyses of other Stard5-expressing cell types (e.g., D2-SPNs, interneurons) would enhance completeness, the overall methodological rigor and convergence of findings make this a well-executed and informative study. This will be of interest to those interested in brain circuits, reward, emotion, and feeding behavior.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Subtle methodological variations substantially impact correlation test results in ecological time series

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Caroline Cannistra
   2. Linh Hoang
   3. Alex E Yuan
   4. Wenying Shou

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents a valuable in-depth comparison of statistical methods for the analysis of ecological time series data, and shows that different analyses can generate different conclusions, emphasizing the importance of carefully choosing methods and of reporting methodological details. The evidence supporting the claims, based on simulated data for a two-species ecosystem, is solid, although testing on more complex datasets could be of further benefit. This paper should be of broad interest to researchers in ecology.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Heterogeneous responses to embryonic critical period perturbations within the Drosophila larval locomotor circuit

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Niklas Krick
   2. Jacob Davies
   3. Bramwell Coulson
   4. Daniel Sobrido-Cameán
   5. Michael Miller
   6. Matthew CW Oswald
   7. Aref A Zarin
   8. Richard Baines
   9. Matthias Landgraf

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This is an important study of critical period plasticity, focused on temperature manipulations, and how different parts of the Drosophila larval motor circuit adapt or maladapt. The work convincingly demonstrates that components of the motor network respond in distinct ways to the heat shock, and the combination of functional, structural, and electrophysiological approaches makes the study of significant interest. The work points to central interneurons as primary drivers of maladaptive changes, while motoneurons and neuromuscular junctions show compensatory or homeostatic adjustments. The study is methodologically rigorous, contributing significant insights into critical period biology using a tractable invertebrate model.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Anti-resonance in developmental signaling regulates cell fate decisions

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Samuel J Rosen
   2. Olivier Witteveen
   3. Naomi Baxter
   4. Ryan S Lach
   5. Erik Hopkins
   6. Marianne Bauer
   7. Maxwell Z Wilson

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important work combines theoretical analysis with precise experimental perturbation to demonstrate a previously unappreciated quantitative characteristic of the Wnt signaling pathway, which is anti-resonance, or a suppression of pathway output at intermediate activation frequencies. This effect is demonstrated experimentally with compelling evidence from optogenetic stimulation in multiple cell types, alongside modeling results that corroborate the phenomenon. While the demonstration of this phenomenon has yet to be extended to fully physiological situations, its clear existence within optogenetically stimulated systems shows that it is likely a significant factor that contributes to the behavior of this central signaling pathway.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Functional Muscle Networks as Biomarkers of Post-Stroke Motor Impairment and Therapeutic Responsiveness

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. David O’Reilly
   2. Giorgia Pregnolato
   3. Andrea Turolla
   4. Pawel Kiper
   5. Ioannis Delis
   6. Giacomo Severini

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important work employed a recent, functional muscle network analysis for evaluating rehabilitation outcomes in post-stroke patients. While the research direction is relevant and suggests the need for further investigation, the strength of evidence supporting the claims is incomplete. Muscle interactions can serve as biomarkers, but improvements in function are not directly demonstrated, and the method's robustness is not benchmarked against existing approaches.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Spatiotemporal WNT and BMP gradients orchestrate regional enteroendocrine cell diversity along the Drosophila midgut

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Jiaying Lv
   2. Xingting Guo
   3. Rongwen Xi

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study is a comprehensive investigation into the regulatory mechanisms and regional distribution of enteroendocrine cell subtypes in the Drosophila midgut, significantly advancing the understanding of how WNT and BMP gradients contribute to EE diversity. The methodological foundation and robust genetic evidence are solid in supporting the key roles of compartment boundary signals, particularly WNT and BMP, in specifying EE subtypes and division modes. However, there is a lack of full mechanistic insight regarding Notch pathway involvement, incomplete quantification of phenotype data, and insufficient global pattern analysis, which detracts from fully supporting some proposed models. Overall, the study provides a platform for future work but would benefit from stronger data integration and expanded mechanistic exploration.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Aggressive trait selection influences life-history trade-offs, favoring survival over reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster males

    This article has 9 authors:

    1. Anthony Defert
    2. Romane Gout
    3. Gaelle Pennot
    4. Fanny Jamme
    5. Amandine Castex
    6. Anissa Handjar
    7. Thomas Guilleman
    8. Jean-Christophe Billeter
    9. Séverine Trannoy

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This valuable study addresses the effects of selection on aggression on fitness and life-history trade-offs in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the evidence presented is incomplete and does not support the claims proposed in the study of increased survival of highly aggressive males at the expense of reproductive success and shorter mating duration. The main limitation of the study is the choice to use males from only one aggressive Drosophila line in combination with CantonS females, that do not allow disambiguation between nonaggression-related factors, such as hybrid vigor and aggression-related factors influencing mating and lifespan.

    Reviewed by eLife