eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. The catalytic mechanism of the RNA methyltransferase METTL3

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Ivan Corbeski
   2. Pablo Andrés Vargas-Rosales
   3. Rajiv Kumar Bedi
   4. Jiahua Deng
   5. Dylan Coelho
   6. Emmanuelle Braud
   7. Laura Iannazzo
   8. Yaozong Li
   9. Danzhi Huang
   10. Mélanie Ethève-Quelquejeu
   11. Qiang Cui
   12. Amedeo Caflisch

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study combines experimental and computational data to address crucial aspects of RNA methylation by a vital RNA methyltransferase (MTase). The authors have provided compelling, strong evidence, utilizing well-established techniques, to elucidate aspects of the methyl transfer mechanism of methyltransferase-like protein 3 (METTL3), which is a part of the METTL3-14 complex. This work will be of broad interest to biochemists, biophysicists, and cell biologists alike.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. ESAT-6 undergoes self-association at phagosomal pH and an ESAT-6-specific nanobody restricts M. tuberculosis growth in macrophages

   This article has 16 authors:

   1. Timothy A Bates
   2. Mila Trank-Greene
   3. Xammy Huu Wrynla
   4. Aidan Anastas
   5. Sintayehu K Gurmessa
   6. Ilaria R Merutka
   7. Shandee D Dixon
   8. Anthony Shumate
   9. Abigail R Groncki
   10. Matthew AH Parson
   11. Jessica R Ingram
   12. Eric Barklis
   13. John E Burke
   14. Ujwal Shinde
   15. Hidde L Ploegh
   16. Fikadu G Tafesse

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This useful study investigates two secreted Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins, ESAT-6 and CFP10, using biochemical assays, including a Biolayer Interferometry assay. Solid experimental evidence demonstrates that ESAT-6 forms a tight interaction with CFP10 as a heterodimer at neutral pH and that ESAT-6 also forms a homodimer at acidic pH. Additional, more definitive evidence is required to describe how these proteins disrupt the phagosomal membrane. While improved compared to a previous version, the revised manuscript did not address these concerns adequately.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Yeast eIF2A has a minimal role in translation initiation and uORF-mediated translational control in vivo

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Swati Gaikwad
   2. Fardin Ghobakhlou
   3. Hongen Zhang
   4. Alan G Hinnebusch

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this important study, Gaikwad and colleagues employed ribosome profiling in conjunction with standard biochemical approaches to investigate the role of eIF2A in translation initiation in yeast under optimal growth conditions or stress. The authors provide convincing data that eIF2A is not implicated in translation initiation in yeast, a finding that is anticipated to inspire future investigations to identify the cellular role(s) of eIF2A in yeast. Considering the broad scope of cellular functions attributed to eIF2A, this study should be of interest to a wide spectrum of biomedical researchers ranging from those studying mechanisms of translation regulation to virologists and cancer biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. WASP facilitates tumor mechanosensitivity in T lymphocytes

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Srishti Mandal
   2. Mariane Melo
   3. Pavlo Gordiichuk
   4. Sayanti Acharya
   5. Yeh-Chuin Poh
   6. Na Li
   7. Aereas Aung
   8. Eric L. Dane
   9. Darrell J. Irvine
   10. Sudha Kumari

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This valuable study employs a diverse array of techniques encompassing cell biological manipulations, biophysical measurements, and mouse models to elucidate the impact of target cell stiffness on CD8+ cytotoxic T cell activation, with a particular focus on the actin nucleator protein WASP. The finding that WASP is essential for the stiffness-dependent phosphorylation of ZAP70 in CD8 T cells is convincing. However, the data regarding the role of WASP in mechanosensing within CD8 T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity is incomplete and would benefit from a more rigorous study design. This work would be of interest to cell biologists and investigators studying mechanosensing within the immune system.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Regulation of chromatin architecture by transcription factor binding

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Stephanie Portillo-Ledesma
   2. Suckwoo Chung
   3. Jill Hoffman
   4. Tamar Schlick

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this important study, chromatin is simulated as a polymer at the scale of genes, and the 3D organization of chromatin is analyzed at nucleosome resolution. There is convincing evidence for the emergence of chromatin microdomains due to the action of transcription factors, based on the simulation incorporating well-known biophysical properties of DNA, of nucleosomes, of linker histones, and of the transcription factor pair Myc:Max, as well as considering how the 3D organization of chromatin results from bending and looping of DNA. The work greatly improves our understanding of how the joint action of transcription factors and chromatin features affects chromatin structure and accessibility, which is of interest to anyone studying gene regulation.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. A novel MARV glycoprotein-specific antibody with potentials of broad-spectrum neutralization to filovirus

   This article has 18 authors:

   1. Yuting Zhang
   2. Min Zhang
   3. Haiyan Wu
   4. Xinwei Wang
   5. Hang Zheng
   6. Junjuan Feng
   7. Jing Wang
   8. Longlong Luo
   9. He Xiao
   10. Chunxia Qiao
   11. Xinying Li
   12. Yuanqiang Zheng
   13. Weijin Huang
   14. Youchun Wang
   15. Yi Wang
   16. Yanchun Shi
   17. Jiannan Feng
   18. Guojiang Chen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this valuable study, the discovery and subsequent design of the AF03-NL chimeric antibody led to a tool for studying filoviruses and provides a possible blueprint for future therapeutics. In general, the data presented are solid, although further improvements can be made in the overall presentation of the results. The work will be of interest to virologists studying antibodies.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Natural genetic variation underlying the negative effect of elevated CO2 on ionome composition in Arabidopsis thaliana

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Oceane Cassan
   2. Lea-Lou Pimpare
   3. Timothy Mozzanino
   4. Cecile Fizames
   5. Sebastien Devidal
   6. Fabrice Roux
   7. Alexandru Milcu
   8. Sophie Lebre
   9. Alain Gojon
   10. Antoine Martin

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This paper provides useful information about how the ionome of Arabidopsis thaliana adapts to very high CO2-levels, backed up by solid evidence and carefully designed studies. The work will be of interest to anyone studying natural genetic variation as well as the response of plants to altered CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Netrin signaling mediates survival of dormant epithelial ovarian cancer cells

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Pirunthan Perampalam
   2. James I MacDonald
   3. Komila Zakirova
   4. Daniel T Passos
   5. Sumaiyah Wasif
   6. Yudith Ramos-Valdes
   7. Maeva Hervieu
   8. Patrick Mehlen
   9. Rob Rottapel
   10. Benjamin Gibert
   11. Rohann JM Correa
   12. Trevor G Shepherd
   13. Frederick A Dick

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The authors further corroborated their model that Netrin signaling promotes survival and dissemination of non-proliferating ovarian cancer cells. These valuable results were found to be of significant potential interest to cancer biologists in as much as they address gaps in knowledge pertinent to the mechanisms underpinning ovarian cancer spread. In general, it was thought that solid experimental evidence was provided to support the role of Netrin signaling in fueling ovarian cancer progression.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Single-cell multiomics analysis of chronic myeloid leukemia links cellular heterogeneity to therapy response

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Rebecca Warfvinge
   2. Linda Geironson Ulfsson
   3. Parashar Dhapola
   4. Fatemeh Safi
   5. Mikael Sommarin
   6. Shamit Soneji
   7. Henrik Hjorth-Hansen
   8. Satu Mustjoki
   9. Johan Richter
   10. Ram Krishna Thakur
   11. Göran Karlsson

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents fundamental insights into the heterogeneity of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) stem cells and their response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, shedding light on potential mechanisms underlying treatment failure. The study's robust methodology, supported by validation with bulk RNA-seq data and surface marker analysis, provides compelling evidence for the identified associations between cellular composition and treatment outcome. These findings contribute to our understanding of CML pathogenesis and may inform the development of more targeted therapeutic strategies.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Itaconate stabilizes CPT1a to enhance lipid utilization during inflammation

    This article has 7 authors:

    1. Rabina Mainali
    2. Nancy Buechler
    3. Cristian Otero
    4. Laken Edwards
    5. Chia-Chi Key
    6. Cristina Furdui
    7. Matthew A Quinn

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      This work describes a connection between inflammation and metabolism, in which itaconate stabilizes the mitochondrial fatty acid uptake enzyme Cpt1a to enhance fatty acid oxidation. The mechanism for itaconate action may be generalizable to other protein targets. This is an important advance, which is supported by solid experimental data.

    Reviewed by eLife