Latest preprint reviews

1. Minimal twister sister (TS)-like self-cleaving ribozymes in the human genome revealed by deep mutational scanning

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Zhe Zhang
   2. Xu Hong
   3. Peng Xiong
   4. Junfeng Wang
   5. Yaoqi Zhou
   6. Jian Zhan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study uncovers a surprising link between two self-cleaving RNAs that belong to the same structural family. The evidence supporting the main conclusions is convincing and based on extensive biochemical and bioinformatic analysis. This research will be of broad interest to RNA molecular biologists and biochemists.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. FABP4-mediated lipid accumulation and lipolysis in tumor-associated macrophages promote breast cancer metastasis

   This article has 16 authors:

   1. Matthew Yorek
   2. Xingshan Jiang
   3. Shanshan Liu
   4. Jiaqing Hao
   5. Jianyu Yu
   6. Anthony Avellino
   7. Zhanxu Liu
   8. Melissa Curry
   9. Henry Keen
   10. Jianqiang Shao
   11. Anand Kanagasabapathy
   12. Maying Kong
   13. Yiqin Xiong
   14. Edward R Sauter
   15. Sonia L Sugg
   16. Bing Li

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important paper uses elegant models, including genetic knock outs, to demonstrate that FABP4 contributes to lipid accumulation in tumor-associated macrophages, which seems to increase breast cancer migration. While the work is of high interest, the strength of the evidence relating to some of the conclusions is incomplete and the paper would benefit from some refinement. The work will be of interest to those researchers trying to link metabolism, the immune system, and cancer.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. A new class of receptors: Lipids regulate mammalian Gsα-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities via their membrane anchors

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Marius Landau
   2. Sherif Elsabbagh
   3. Harald Gross
   4. Adrian Fuchs
   5. Anita CF Schultz
   6. Joachim E Schultz

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This manuscript describes an important study of a new lipid-mediated regulation mechanism of adenylyl cyclases. The biochemical evidence provided is convincing and will trigger more research in this mechanism. This manuscript will be of interest to all scientists working on lipid regulation and adenylyl cyclases.

   Reviewed by eLife, Arcadia Science

4. Multi-omics analyses and machine learning prediction of oviductal responses in the presence of gametes and embryos

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Ryan M Finnerty
   2. Daniel J Carulli
   3. Akshata Hegde
   4. Yanli Wang
   5. Frimpong Baodu
   6. Sarayut Winuthayanon
   7. Jianlin Cheng
   8. Wipawee Winuthayanon

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study reports the transcriptomic and proteomic landscape of the oviducts at four different preimplantation periods during natural fertilization, pseudopregnancy, and superovulation. The data presented convincingly supported the conclusion in general, although more analyses would strengthen the conclusions drawn. This work will interest reproductive biologists and clinicians practicing reproductive medicine.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Genetic Inactivation of the beta1 adrenergic receptor prevents Cerebral Cavernous Malformations in zebrafish

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Wenqing Li
   2. Sara McCurdy
   3. Miguel Alejandro Lopez-Ramirez
   4. Ho-Sup Lee
   5. Mark H Ginsberg

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors follow up on a prior paper in which they showed that beta1 adrenergic receptors contributed to the pathogenesis of cavernous malformations. In the prior work, they used morpholinos and drugs to show this. In this new advance, they now extend this using a genetic knockout of the receptor. While both reviewers agree that this is important for the CV field, there are concerns about the labeling of figures and sample sizes used to make their claims, so the evidence is currently incomplete.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Restraint of melanoma progression by cells in the local skin environment

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Yilun Ma
   2. Mohita Tagore
   3. Miranda V Hunter
   4. Ting-Hsiang Huang
   5. Emily Montal
   6. Joshua M Weiss
   7. Richard M White

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     In this important study, the authors used a zebrafish model and scRNAseq analysis to show that a subset of keratinocytes within melanoma microenvironment highly up-regulate Twist and undergo Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Surprisingly, when overexpressing Twist in keratinocytes, the resulting alteration in keratinocytes is inhibitory for melanoma invasion in both zebrafish and human cell culture models. The results are supported by overall convincing experimental data that provide new insights into the interactions between melanoma cells and their environment.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. The triad interaction of ULK1, ATG13, and FIP200 is required for ULK complex formation and autophagy

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Yutaro Hama
   2. Yuko Fujioka
   3. Hayashi Yamamoto
   4. Noboru Mizushima
   5. Nobuo N Noda

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study corroborates recent findings from another group and provides valuable insights into the structure of the autophagy initiation complex, which includes ULK1, ATG13, and FIP200. The authors present solid evidence that supports their claims and addresses one of the key questions in autophagy initiation.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. PA28γ promotes the malignant progression of tumor by elevating mitochondrial function via C1QBP

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Jiongke Wang
   2. Yujie Shi
   3. Ying Wang
   4. Yingqiang Shen
   5. Huan Liu
   6. Silu Sun
   7. Yimei Wang
   8. Xikun Zhou
   9. Yu Zhou
   10. Xin Zeng
   11. Jing Li
   12. Qianming Chen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This work attempts to demonstrate an ATP-independent non-canonical role of proteasomal component PA28y in the promotion of oral squamous cell carcinoma growth, migration, and invasion. The evidence remains incomplete and the work would benefit from further experimental work. The authors have not adequately addressed the reviewers' comments.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. The asymmetric expression of HSPA2 in blastomeres governs the first embryonic cell-fate decision

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Jiayin Gao
   2. Jiawei Wang
   3. Shiyu Liu
   4. Jinzhu Song
   5. Chuanxin Zhang
   6. Boyang Liu
   7. Keliang Wu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This useful study by Gao et al identifies Hspa2 as a heterogeneous transcript in the early embryo and proposes a plausible mechanism showing interactions with Carm1. The authors propose that variability in HSPA2 levels among blastomeres at the 4-cell stage skews their relative contribution to the embryonic lineage. Given only 4 other heterogeneous transcripts/non-coding RNA have been proposed to act similarly at or before the 4-cell stage, this would be a key addition to our understanding of how the first cell fate decision is made. Whilst this is a solid study, in order to support its conclusions image analyses and quantifications would need to be better described, and the overexpression studies should be validated.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. GATA6 regulates WNT and BMP programs to pattern precardiac mesoderm during the earliest stages of human cardiogenesis

    This article has 12 authors:

    1. Joseph A Bisson
    2. Miriam Gordillo
    3. Ritu Kumar
    4. Neranjan de Silva
    5. Ellen Yang
    6. Kelly M Banks
    7. Zhong-Dong Shi
    8. Kihyun Lee
    9. Dapeng Yang
    10. Wendy K Chung
    11. Danwei Huangfu
    12. Todd Evans

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This important study investigates the function of a critical regulator of human early cardiac development. The convincing examination of GATA6 function is thorough and well-executed. The study will be of interest to scientists working on how the human heart acquires its identity.

    Reviewed by eLife