eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. A novel triptolide analog downregulates NF-κB and induces mitochondrial apoptosis pathways in human pancreatic cancer

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Qiaomu Tian
   2. Peng Zhang
   3. Yihan Wang
   4. Youhui Si
   5. Dengping Yin
   6. Christopher R Weber
   7. Melissa L Fishel
   8. Karen E Pollok
   9. Bo Qiu
   10. Fei Xiao
   11. Anita S Chong

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This useful manuscript presents a new therapeutic formulation and these solid findings have potential clinical significance as the efficacy of CK21 is relevant in various pancreatic cancer models.Further validation studies would help to strengthen the findings.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Indole produced during dysbiosis mediates host–microorganism chemical communication

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Rui-Qiu Yang
   2. Yong-Hong Chen
   3. Qin-yi Wu
   4. Jie Tang
   5. Shan-Zhuang Niu
   6. Qiu Zhao
   7. Yi-Cheng Ma
   8. Cheng-Gang Zou

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This fundamental study provides compelling evidence for a new mechanism of host-microbe interaction, with indole, produced by proliferating bacteria in the C. elegans digestive system, signalling through the host via the transcription factor DAF-16 to induce the expression of genes controlling bacterial growth in the gut. The work is relevant to a wide audience as it invites deeper research into this mechanism, while also serving as a template for similar microbiome/host interactions in other systems.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. The neuronal calcium sensor NCS-1 regulates the phosphorylation state and activity of the Gα chaperone and GEF Ric-8A

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Daniel Muñoz-Reyes
   2. Levi J McClelland
   3. Sandra Arroyo-Urea
   4. Sonia Sánchez-Yepes
   5. Juan Sabín
   6. Sara Pérez-Suárez
   7. Margarita Menendez
   8. Alicia Mansilla
   9. Javier García-Nafría
   10. Stephen Sprang
   11. Maria Jose Sanchez-Barrena

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study reports biochemical and structural experiments that were carried out to determine the molecular basis of calcium-sensitive regulation of the guanine exchange factor Ric8A by the neuronal calcium sensor 1 (NCS-1). Structural and biochemical evidence for the NCS-1/Ric8A interface is convincing, but evidence for the full-length interactions is incomplete due to the low resolution of cryo-EM maps. This work will have important implications for scientists interested in G-protein signaling and molecular interactions that contribute to synapse function.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Hybridization led to a rewired pluripotency network in the allotetraploid Xenopus laevis

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Wesley A Phelps
   2. Matthew D Hurton
   3. Taylor N Ayers
   4. Anne E Carlson
   5. Joel C Rosenbaum
   6. Miler T Lee

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This paper reports fundamental findings that substantially advance our understanding of a major research question - how hybridization events influence gene regulatory programs and how evolutionary pressures have shaped these programs in response to such events. The methods, data, and analyses are solid and broadly support the claims with only minor weaknesses. This convincing work uses appropriate and validated methodology in line with the current state-of-the-art.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Identification of a carbohydrate recognition motif of purinergic receptors

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Lifen Zhao
   2. Fangyu Wei
   3. Xinheng He
   4. Antao Dai
   5. Dehua Yang
   6. Hualiang Jiang
   7. Liuqing Wen
   8. Xi Cheng

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     Purines are native molecules that affect processes in the immune system, among others. The manuscript describes a valuable investigation of the mode of binding of purines, especially their carbohydrate moiety, to human receptors in cell culture and by computer-based modelling. Solid evidence is presented about the way purines interact with and activate two receptors.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Death by a thousand cuts through kinase inhibitor combinations that maximize selectivity and enable rational multitargeting

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Ian R Outhwaite
   2. Sukrit Singh
   3. Benedict-Tilman Berger
   4. Stefan Knapp
   5. John D Chodera
   6. Markus A Seeliger

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents a valuable finding on an alternative method that combines multiple inhibitors to maximize on-target inhibition and minimize off-target inhibition. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is solid, although a proper validation of the methodology could strengthen the paper. The work will be of interest to scientists working in the field of drug discovery, particularly in the field of kinase inhibitors.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Astrocyte and L-lactate in the anterior cingulate cortex modulate schema memory and neuronal mitochondrial biogenesis

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Mastura Akter
   2. Mahadi Hasan
   3. Aruna Surendran Ramkrishnan
   4. Zafar Iqbal
   5. Xianlin Zheng
   6. Zhongqi Fu
   7. Zhuogui Lei
   8. Anwarul Karim
   9. Ying Li

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This is an important study that investigates the role of astrocytic Gi signaling in the anterior cingulate cortex in the modulation of extracellular L-lactate level and consequently impairment in flavor-place associates (PA) learning. However, whereas some of the behavioral observations and signaling mechanism data are compelling, the conclusions about effects on memory and the role of L-lactate are based on inadequate methods. With the addition of a few key experiments, this work will be of interest to neuroscientists studying learning and memory and the contribution of astrocytes to these processes.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Single-cell sequencing highlights heterogeneity and malignant progression in actinic keratosis and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

   This article has 17 authors:

   1. Dan-Dan Zou
   2. Ya-Zhou Sun
   3. Xin-Jie Li
   4. Wen-Juan Wu
   5. Dan Xu
   6. Yu-Tong He
   7. Jue Qi
   8. Ying Tu
   9. Yang Tang
   10. Yun-Hua Tu
   11. Xiao-Li Wang
   12. Xing Li
   13. Feng-Yan Lu
   14. Ling Huang
   15. Heng Long
   16. Li He
   17. Xin Li

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study delineates the molecular changes driving the progression from actinic keratosis (AK) to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Using state-of-the-art single-cell RNA profiling of 138,982 cells from 13 samples of six patients including AK, squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS), cSCC, and their matched normal tissues, thus covering comprehensive clinical courses of cSCC, the authors provide an invaluable data resource. This study identified several previously unreported and interesting candidate genes involved in different stages of the malignant progression of skin neoplasias, which have been validated in situ, and partially in vitro. Although data analysis needs improvement and comparison to other published data sets to fully support the claims and conclusions, these findings substantially advance our understanding of the molecular changes leading to skin cancer.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Homeostasis, injury, and recovery dynamics at multiple scales in a self-organizing mouse intestinal crypt

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Louis Gall
   2. Carrie Duckworth
   3. Ferran Jardi
   4. Lieve Lammens
   5. Aimee Parker
   6. Ambra Bianco
   7. Holly Kimko
   8. David Mark Pritchard
   9. Carmen Pin

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The authors developed a valuable mathematical model that describes the spatiotemporal dynamics of cells in the intestinal crypt. The proposed model makes an important contribution to the field, allowing a better understanding of the formation and response dynamics of the intestinal crypt through the effective evaluation of health, disease, and treatment conditions. The authors provided solid evidence of the validity of their model and their conclusions, but some minor claims are not properly justified in the current manuscript. This paper is meant for computational biologists and cancer researchers working on oncotherapies for the intestinal epithelium.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Temporal transcriptomic dynamics in developing macaque neocortex

    This article has 11 authors:

    1. Longjiang Xu
    2. Zan Yuan
    3. Jiafeng Zhou
    4. Yuan Zhao
    5. Wei Liu
    6. Shuaiyao Lu
    7. Zhanlong He
    8. Boqin Qiang
    9. Pengcheng Shu
    10. Yang Chen
    11. Xiaozhong Peng

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      This study presents a useful resource for the gene expression profiles of different cell types in the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex of prenatal macaques. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is solid, and revision has clarified some of the cell isolation and cell classification issues flagged by reviewers. This dataset will be of interest to developmental neurobiologists and could potentially be used for future comparative studies on early brain development.

    Reviewed by eLife