eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Identification of 1600 replication origins in S. cerevisiae

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Eric J Foss
   2. Carmina Lichauco
   3. Tonibelle Gatbonton-Schwager
   4. Sara J Gonske
   5. Brandon Lofts
   6. Uyen Lao
   7. Antonio Bedalov

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study represents a valuable addition to the understanding of the DNA replication origin selection process in the budding yeast. The authors provide convincing evidence that the number of possible origins of replication is much higher than previously appreciated, although many of the newly identified origins are likely to only direct replication initiation rarely. This work will be of interest to those studying DNA replication and investigating protein-DNA interactions across the genome.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Imputation of 3D genome structure by genetic–epigenetic interaction modeling in mice

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Lauren Kuffler
   2. Daniel A Skelly
   3. Anne Czechanski
   4. Haley J Fortin
   5. Steven C Munger
   6. Christopher L Baker
   7. Laura G Reinholdt
   8. Gregory W Carter

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important manuscript reports interactions between genetic variation, DNA accessibility, and chromatin structure in gene expression at a genome wide scale. The authors found that most of these interactions occur within topologically associating domains (TADs) and 3D genome structure data can be efficiently used to guide the discovery of significant genetic and epigenetic influences on gene expression. Overall, this convincing study highlights the importance of 3D chromatin structure in controlling how gene expression is regulated by genetic and epigenetic processes.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. BATF relieves hepatic steatosis by inhibiting PD1 and promoting energy metabolism

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Zhiwang Zhang
   2. Qichao Liao
   3. Tingli Pan
   4. Lin Yu
   5. Zupeng Luo
   6. Songtao Su
   7. Shi Liu
   8. Menglong Hou
   9. Yixing Li
   10. Turtushikh Damba
   11. Yunxiao Liang
   12. Lei Zhou

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This valuable study presents reports on the role of the transcription factor BATF and its target PD1 in lipid metabolism including a model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Overall, the evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing. The work will be of interest to medical biologists working on NAFLD.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Delta-dependent Notch activation closes the early neuroblast temporal program to promote lineage progression and neurogenesis termination in Drosophila

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Chhavi Sood
   2. Md Ausrafuggaman Nahid
   3. Kendall R Branham
   4. Matt Pahl
   5. Susan E Doyle
   6. Sarah E Siegrist

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This useful study reports on how Notch activity regulates the termination of neurogenesis in central brain during larval-pupal stages in Drosophila. The evidence supporting the claims is solid. The work will be of interest to developmental neurobiologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Repeatability of adaptation in sunflowers reveals that genomic regions harbouring inversions also drive adaptation in species lacking an inversion

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Shaghayegh Soudi
   2. Mojtaba Jahani
   3. Marco Todesco
   4. Gregory L Owens
   5. Natalia Bercovich
   6. Loren H Rieseberg
   7. Sam Yeaman

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This is a valuable comparative study of local adaptation using gene-by-environment and gene-by-phenotype correlations. The analyses seemed still incomplete, as the biological take-home messages were obscured by the statistical approaches used, and it remains unclear how to best interpret the level of genome-wide convergence and in inversions. The repeatability of local adaptation across species, and the role of inversions in local adaptation, are questions of considerable empirical interest.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Imidacloprid disrupts larval molting regulation and nutrient energy metabolism, causing developmental delay in honey bee Apis mellifera

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Zhi Li
   2. Yuedi Wang
   3. Qiqian Qin
   4. Lanchun Chen
   5. Xiaoqun Dang
   6. Zhengang Ma
   7. Zeyang Zhou

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This investigation of the changes in gene expression and some of the physiological consequences of sublethal exposures to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid in honeybee larvae is useful, although numerous experiments were not considered based on technical issues. The methodological design leads to concerns and it is therefore not obvious that all conclusions are justified. The study adds to our understanding of how this insecticide impacts development and growth of honeybees, but the evidence supporting the major claims is incomplete.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Transposon mutagenesis screen in Klebsiella pneumoniae identifies genetic determinants required for growth in human urine and serum

   This article has 18 authors:

   1. Jessica Gray
   2. Von Vergel L Torres
   3. Emily Goodall
   4. Samantha A McKeand
   5. Danielle Scales
   6. Christy Collins
   7. Laura Wetherall
   8. Zheng Jie Lian
   9. Jack A Bryant
   10. Matthew T Milner
   11. Karl A Dunne
   12. Christopher Icke
   13. Jessica L Rooke
   14. Thamarai Schneiders
   15. Peter A Lund
   16. Adam F Cunningham
   17. Jeff A Cole
   18. Ian R Henderson

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This valuable study is of relevance for those interested in the mechanism required for infections of humans by Klebsiella pneumoniae. The authors apply TraDIS (high-density TnSeq) to K. pneumoniae with the goal of identifying genes required for survival under various infection-relevant conditions and the gene sets identified, together with the raw sequence data, will be resources for the Klebsiella research community. The evidence to support the lists of essential and conditionally-essential genes is convincing. The study provides strong evidence that some genes are conditionally essential in urine because of iron limitation, but there is less mechanistic insight for genes that are conditionally essential in serum.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Broca’s area, variation and taxic diversity in early Homo from Koobi Fora (Kenya)

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Amélie Beaudet
   2. Edwin de Jager

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study uses the brain endocast of a ~1.9-million-year-old hominin fossil from Kenya, attributed to genus Homo, to show that the organization of the Broca's area in members of early Homo was primitive. Specifically, the prefrontal sulcal pattern in this early Homo specimen more closely resembles that of chimpanzees than of modern humans. Because Broca's area is associated with speech function, the compelling evidence from this study is relevant for understanding the timing and trajectory of evolution of speech related traits in our genus. Coupled with its potential implications for taxonomic classification, this study will be of interest to paleoanthropologists, paleontologists, archaeologists, and neuroscientists.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Intrinsic protein disorder is insufficient to drive subnuclear clustering in embryonic transcription factors

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Colleen E Hannon
   2. Michael B Eisen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The manuscript addresses a fundamental question: are IDRs responsible for subnuclear clustering of transcription factors? A screen of 75 IDRs yielded convincing evidence that IDRs are rarely sufficient for subnuclear clustering, while the experimental design and data analysis provided limited evidence for the authors' claims regarding transcription factor clustering.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Association between APOL1 risk variants and the occurrence of sepsis in Black patients hospitalized with infections: a retrospective cohort study

    This article has 12 authors:

    1. Lan Jiang
    2. Ge Liu
    3. Annette Oeser
    4. Andrea Ihegword
    5. Alyson L Dickson
    6. Laura L Daniel
    7. Adriana M Hung
    8. Nancy J Cox
    9. Cecilia P Chung
    10. Wei-Qi Wei
    11. C Michael Stein
    12. Qiping Feng

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      In this valuable study, patients homozygous for both minor frequency alleles of the APOL1 gene are shown to be at significant risk for progression into sepsis after infection. The study has enrolled a significant number of subjects and provides solid results. The study addresses to infectious diseases and critical care experts and one major weakness is the lack of inclusion of non-Black patients.

    Reviewed by eLife