eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Strip cropping in organic agriculture results in 15% higher ground beetle richness and 30% higher activity density than monocultures

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Luuk Croijmans
   2. Fogelina Cuperus
   3. Dirk F. van Apeldoorn
   4. Felix J.J.A. Bianchi
   5. Walter A.H. Rossing
   6. Erik H. Poelman

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study shows that strip cropping -- planting different crops in strips on the same field -- enhances the taxonomic diversity of ground beetles relative to corresponding monocultures in multiple experiments with different crops in the Netherlands. While these findings are important for demonstrating the potential beneficial effects of this form of intercropping, the information presented is incomplete with regard to sampling design and data obtained.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. DIO-SPOTlight Transgenic Mouse to Functionally Monitor Protein Synthesis Regulated by the Integrated Stress Response

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Matthew L Oliver
   2. Zachary F Caffall
   3. Callie B Eatman
   4. Timothy D Faw
   5. Nicole Calakos

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     In this manuscript, the authors describe the creation of a transgenic mouse expressing a reporter for Integrated Stress Response (ISR) activation in a CRE-dependent manner. Reliable tools for detecting ISR activation in situ are lacking, so this manuscript describes a potentially valuable tool that builds on and overcomes some of the limitations of a similar viral vector described by the authors in a previous publication. Solid evidence suggests that distinct populations of cells (ChAT) in the nervous system are marked by some level of ISR activation, and that the mouse could be most helpful as a screen for cell types in which the ISR is particularly active, although it would be difficult to draw conclusions from the reporter alone. Additional validations of the reporter activity in situ will further strengthen the manuscript.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. A circadian clock drives behavioral activity in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and provides a potential mechanism for seasonal timing

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Lukas Hüppe
   2. Dominik Bahlburg
   3. Ryan Driscoll
   4. Charlotte Helfrich-Förster
   5. Bettina Meyer

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study substantially advances our understanding of the circadian clock in Antarctic krill, a key species in the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Through logistically challenging shipboard experiments conducted across seasons, the authors provide compelling evidence for their conclusions. The study will be of broad interest to marine biologists and ecologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Zinc finger homeobox-3 (ZFHX3) orchestrates genome-wide daily gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Akanksha Bafna
   2. Gareth Banks
   3. Vadim Vasilyev
   4. Robert Dallmann
   5. Michael H Hastings
   6. Patrick M Nolan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This is an important study that generates an inventory of accessible genomic regions bound by a transcription factor ZFHX3 within the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus and details the impact of its depletion on daily rhythms in behavior and gene expression patterns. Analysis using circadian phase-estimation algorithms makes the argument that gene regulatory networks are at play and changes in gene expression of a few clock genes cannot account for the observed animal behaviour. While the transcriptome analysis is compelling, the data on the activity of the TF in rhythmic gene expression is solid, and interpretations that allow for direct and/or indirect roles have been incorporated.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. AACDB: Antigen-Antibody Complex Database — a Comprehensive Database Unlocking Insights into Interaction Interface

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Yuwei Zhou
   2. Wenwen Liu
   3. Ziru Huang
   4. Yushu Gou
   5. Siqi Liu
   6. Lixu Jiang
   7. Yue Yang
   8. Jian Huang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This useful manuscript provides a newly curated database (termed AACDB) of antibody-antigens structural information, alongside annotations that are either taken and from the PDB, or added de-novo. Sequences, structures, and annotations can be easily downloaded from the AACDB website, speeding up the development of structure-based algorithms and analysis pipelines to characterize antibody-antigen interactions. The methodology presented for this data curation is solid, although some key annotations are missing which would greatly improve the database.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Evolution of lateralized gustation in nematodes

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Marisa Mackie
   2. Vivian Vy Le
   3. Heather R. Carstensen
   4. Nicole R. Kushnir
   5. Dylan L. Castro
   6. Ivan M. Dimov
   7. Kathleen T. Quach
   8. Steven J. Cook
   9. Oliver Hobert
   10. Sreekanth H. Chalasani
   11. Ray L. Hong

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     Mackie and colleagues present a valuable comparison of lateralized gustation in two well-studied nematodes. The evidence they present that ASEL/R lateralization exists and is achieved by different means in P. pacificus compared to C. elegans is solid, but would be strengthened by the inclusion of calcium imaging data for C. elegans and additional verification of P. pacificus AFD neuron identity. This work will be of interest to evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and sensory neurobiologists interested in how small nervous systems make sense of the environment, and how evolution can take multiple paths to asymmetry within a neuron class.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Meioc-Piwil1 complexes regulate rRNA transcription for differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Toshihiro Kawasaki
   2. Toshiya Nishimura
   3. Naoki Tani
   4. Carina Ramos
   5. Emil Karaulanov
   6. Minori Shinya
   7. Kenji Saito
   8. Emily Taylor
   9. Rene F Ketting
   10. Kei-ichiro Ishiguro
   11. Minoru Tanaka
   12. Kellee R Siegfried
   13. Noriyoshi Sakai

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important paper describes the regulatory pathway of rRNA synthesis by Meioc-Piwil1 in germ cell differentiation in zebrafish. Using the molecular genetic and cytological approaches, the authors provide convincing evidence that Meioc antagonizes Piwil1, which downregulates the 45S pre-rRNA synthesis by heterochromatin formation for spermatocyte differentiation. The results will be of use to researchers in the field of germ cell/meiosis as well as RNA biosynthesis and chromatin.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Numb provides a fail-safe mechanism for intestinal stem cell self-renewal in adult Drosophila midgut

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Mengjie Li
   2. Aiguo Tian
   3. Jin Jiang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors examine the role of Numb, a Notch inhibitor, in intestinal stem cell self-renewal in Drosophila during homeostasis and regeneration. The significance is important as the authors demonstrate the ISC maintenance is reduced when both BMP signaling and Numb expression is reduced. The strength of evidence is convincing as large sample sizes and statistical analyses are provided.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Comprehensive profiling of migratory primordial germ cells reveals niche-specific differences in non-canonical Wnt and Nodal-Lefty signaling in anterior vs posterior migrants

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Rebecca G Jaszczak
   2. Jay W Zussman
   3. Daniel E Wagner
   4. Diana J Laird

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study answers an essential question about how migratory primordial germ cells mobilize based on their anterior or posterior location. Convincing data support the model that interactions of migrating mouse PGCs with their niches influences their proliferation, cytoskeletal regulation, epigenetic state and pluripotent state. Rigorous methodology and analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing of migratory primordial germ cells and surrounding somatic cells result in datasets which will be valuable to developmental biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Reduction of DNA Topoisomerase Top2 reprograms the epigenetic landscape and extends health and life span across species

    This article has 13 authors:

    1. Man Zhu
    2. Meng Ma
    3. Lunan Luo
    4. Feiyang Li
    5. Jiashun Zhang
    6. Yan Pan
    7. Lu Yang
    8. Ying Xiao
    9. Ziyan Wang
    10. Bo Xian
    11. Yi Zheng
    12. Hao Li
    13. Jing Yang

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      Building on earlier evidence that Topoisomerase 2 depletion can extend yeast lifespan, the authors present convincing data demonstrating that reduced Top2 levels confer significant longevity benefits in C. elegans and mice. They show that these benefits encompass not only extended survival but also improved healthspan and mitigation of aging phenotypes, supported by robust transcriptomic, epigenetic, and histological analyses. While the exact mechanistic underpinnings-such as the potential connection to classical aging pathways and the selective down-regulation of genes with active promoters-remain to be fully elucidated, the breadth of these important findings strongly indicates a conserved role for Top2 in aging regulation.

    Reviewed by eLife