eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. The breath shape controls intonation of mouse vocalizations

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Alastair MacDonald
   2. Alina Hebling
   3. Xin Paul Wei
   4. Kevin Yackle

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study examines the relationship between expiratory airflow and vocal pitch in adult mice during the production of ultrasonic vocalizations and also identifies a molecularly defined population of brainstem neurons that regulates mouse vocal production across development. The evidence supporting the study's conclusions that expiratory airflow shapes vocal pitch and that these brainstem neurons preferentially regulate expiratory airflow is novel and compelling. This work will be of interest to neuroscientists working on mechanisms and brainstem circuits that regulate vocal production and vocal-respiratory coordination.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. A wave of minor de novo DNA methylation initiates in mouse 8-cell embryos and co-regulates imprinted X- chromosome inactivation with H3K27me3

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Yuan Yue
   2. Wei Fu
   3. Qianying Yang
   4. Chao Zhang
   5. Wenjuan Wang
   6. Meiqiang Chu
   7. Qingji Lyu
   8. Yawen Tang
   9. Jian Cui
   10. Xiaodong Wang
   11. Zhenni Zhang
   12. Jianhui Tian
   13. Lei An

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors present an valuable and intriguing observation challenging current views on DNA methylation dynamics, revealing earlier-than-expected de novo methylation with significant implications for gene regulation in early embryonic development. However, the study's significance is difficult to ascertain due to incomplete evidence supporting the conclusions. Moreover, the observed changes in DNA methylation across promoter regions is modest, leaving its relevance open to alternative interpretations.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Spatial and temporal pattern of structure–function coupling of human brain connectome with development

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Guozheng Feng
   2. Yiwen Wang
   3. Weijie Huang
   4. Haojie Chen
   5. Jian Cheng
   6. Ni Shu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents a useful exploration of the complex relationship between structure and function in the developing human brain using a large-scale imaging dataset from the Human Connectome Project in Development and gene expression profiles from the Allen Brain Atlas. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is solid, although the inclusion of more systematic analyses of structural and functional connectivity with respect to myelin measures and oligodendrocyte-related genes, and also more details regarding the imaging analyses, cognitive scores, and design and validation strategies, would have strengthened the paper. The work will be of interest to developmental biologists and neuroscientists seeking to elucidate structure-function relationships in the human brain.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. The vascularised chamber device significantly enhances the survival of transplanted liver organoids

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Denis D. Shi
   2. Evelyn Makris
   3. Yi-Wen Gerrand
   4. Pu-Han Lo
   5. George C. Yeoh
   6. Wayne A. Morrison
   7. Geraldine M. Mitchell
   8. Kiryu K. Yap

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This solid manuscript describes a preclinical model to assess different methods of infusion of organoids for clinical applications. This is an important and timely study with practical implications beyond a single subfield. The methods described, including the analysis, broadly support the claims although there are some areas for improvement.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Inter-regional delays fluctuate in the human cerebral cortex

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Joon-Young Moon
   2. Kathrin Müsch
   3. Charles E. Schroeder
   4. Taufik A. Valiante
   5. Christopher J. Honey

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The authors use human intracranial recordings to investigate the relationship between the power of brain oscillations and the latency and strength of cortico-cortical couplings. In the current version, the authors provide a valuable finding that the delay between nearby electrodes in ECoG data is correlated with the amplitude of power, differently so for high and low frequencies. The findings of this study will interest investigators in the wider field of systems neurophysiology; however, editors and reviewers perceived headroom for improving clarity in the presentation of analyses and results, and the strength of evidence for some of the claims as currently presented was viewed as incomplete.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. A mathematical model that predicts human biological age from physiological traits identifies environmental and genetic factors that influence aging

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Sergiy Libert
   2. Alex Chekholko
   3. Cynthia Kenyon

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study developed a mathematical model to predict biological age by leveraging physiological traits across multiple organ systems. The results presented are convincing, utilizing comprehensive data-driven approaches. However, additional external validation could further strengthen its generalizability. The model provides a way to identify environmental and genetic factors impacting aging and lifespan, revealing new factors potentially affecting aging. It also shows promise for evaluating therapeutics aimed at prolonging a healthy lifespan.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. N-cadherin mechanosensing in ovarian follicles controls oocyte maturation and ovulation

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Alaknanda Emery
   2. Orest W Blaschuk
   3. Doan T Dinh
   4. Tim McPhee
   5. Rouven Becker
   6. Andrew D Abell
   7. Krzysztof M Mrozik
   8. Andrew CW Zannettino
   9. Rebecca L Robker
   10. Darryl L Russell

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The manuscript describes important findings regarding the significance of CHD2 in ovarian folliculogenesis. Overall, the results lead to convincing conclusions, with minimal concerns raised by the reviewers. Both the results and conclusions are well discussed. This work will be of interest to ovarian biologists and physicians working on female fertility.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Progesterone induces meiosis through two obligate co-receptors with PLA2 activity

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Nancy Nader
   2. Lama Assaf
   3. Lubna Zarif
   4. Anna Halama
   5. Sharan Yadav
   6. Maya Dib
   7. Nabeel Attarwala
   8. Qiuying Chen
   9. Karsten Suhre
   10. Steven Gross
   11. Khaled Machaca

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study provides solid evidence for a non-genomic action of progesterone in Xenopus oocyte activation. The findings demonstrate that two non-genomic progesterone receptors, ABHD2 and mPRb, function as a novel progesterone-stimulated phospholipase A2. The findings will be of broad interest to reproductive endocrinologists and physiologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Reorganization of the flagellum scaffolding induces a sperm standstill during fertilization

   This article has 17 authors:

   1. Martina Jabloñski
   2. Guillermina M Luque
   3. Matias Gomez Elias
   4. Claudia Sanchez Cardenas
   5. Xinran Xu
   6. Jose L de La Vega Beltran
   7. Gabriel Corkidi
   8. Alejandro Linares
   9. Victor Abonza
   10. Aquetzalli Arenas-Hernandez
   11. María DP Ramos-Godinez
   12. Alejandro López-Saavedra
   13. Dario Krapf
   14. Diego Krapf
   15. Alberto Darszon
   16. Adán Guerrero
   17. Mariano G Buffone

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important work substantially advances our understanding of sperm motility regulation during fertilization process by uncovering the midpiece/mitochondria contraction associated with motility cessation and structural changes in the midpiece actin network as its mode of action involved. The evidence supporting the conclusion is solid, with rigorous live cell imaging using state-of-art microscopy, although more functional analysis of the midpiece/mitochondria contraction would have further strengthened the study. The work will be of broad interest to cell biologists working on the cytoskeleton, mitochondria, cell fusion, and fertilization.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Random genetic drift sets an upper limit on mRNA splicing accuracy in metazoans

    This article has 3 authors:

    1. Florian Bénitière
    2. Anamaria Necsulea
    3. Laurent Duret

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      This fundamental study evaluates the evolutionary significance of variations in the accuracy of the intron-splicing process across vertebrates and insects. Using a powerful combination of comparative and population genomics approaches, the authors present convincing evidence that higher rates of alternative splicing tend to be observed in species with lower effective population size, a key prediction of the drift-barrier hypothesis. The analysis is carefully conducted and has broad implications beyond the studied species. As such, it will strongly appeal to anyone interested in the evolution of genome architecture and the optimisation of genetic systems.

    Reviewed by eLife, Peer Community in Evolutionary Biology