eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Combinatorial expression of γ-protocadherins regulates synaptic connectivity in the mouse neocortex

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Yi-jun Zhu
   2. Cai-yun Deng
   3. Liu Fan
   4. Ya-Qian Wang
   5. Hui Zhou
   6. Hua-tai Xu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The authors used an innovative modified 10X genomic sequencing method to detect cPCDHg is-forms in pyramidal neurons. With solid electrophysiological recordings, they showed that neurons expressing the same sets of cPCDHg isoforms are less likely to form synapses with each other. These valuable findings confirms previous results and extend our understanding of cPCDHg diversity and neuronal connectivity.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Genetically defined nucleus incertus neurons differ in connectivity and function

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Emma D Spikol
   2. Ji Cheng
   3. Michelle Macurak
   4. Abhignya Subedi
   5. Marnie E Halpern

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents an important finding on the anatomical connectivity and functional roles of the previously uncharacterized neuronal populations in the nucleus incertus. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing, with imaging and manipulations of the genetically targeted populations of neurons. The work presents a significant milestone for future mechanistic studies of the nucleus incertus.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Distance and grid-like codes support the navigation of abstract social space in the human brain

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Zilu Liang
   2. Simeng Wu
   3. Jie Wu
   4. Wen-Xu Wang
   5. Shaozheng Qin
   6. Chao Liu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study tackles a significant question: Does the brain apply spatial navigation systems to evaluate decision options in conceptual social spaces? The investigation is useful as it seeks to address this intriguing hypothesis. The findings offer partial support: a solid analysis revealed characteristic grid-like patterns associated with decision-making directions. However, it remains uncertain whether these effects are genuinely due to navigating a conceptual social space or potentially confounded by changes in visual stimuli. The experimental design may not be capable of definitively resolving this issue.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Binding of LncDACH1 to dystrophin impairs the membrane trafficking of Nav1.5 protein and increases ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility

   This article has 21 authors:

   1. Genlong Xue
   2. Jiming Yang
   3. Yang Zhang
   4. Ying Yang
   5. Ruixin Zhang
   6. Desheng Li
   7. Tao Tian
   8. Jialiang Li
   9. Xiaofang Zhang
   10. Changzhu Li
   11. Xingda Li
   12. Jiqin Yang
   13. Kewei Shen
   14. Yang Guo
   15. Xuening Liu
   16. Guohui Yang
   17. Lina Xuan
   18. Hongli Shan
   19. Yanjie Lu
   20. Yang Baofeng
   21. Zhenwei Pan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents an important contribution to cardiac arrhythmia research by demonstrating long noncoding RNA Dachshund homolog 1 (lncDACH1) tunes sodium channel functional expression and affects cardiac action potential conduction and rhythms. The evidence supporting the major claims are convincing. The work will be of broad interest to cell biologists and cardiac electrophysiologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. The Alk receptor tyrosine kinase regulates Sparkly, a novel activity regulating neuropeptide precursor in the Drosophila central nervous system

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Sanjay Kumar Sukumar
   2. Vimala Antonydhason
   3. Linnea Molander
   4. Jawdat Sandakly
   5. Malak Kleit
   6. Ganesh Umapathy
   7. Patricia Mendoza-Garcia
   8. Tafheem Masudi
   9. Andreas Schlosser
   10. Dick R Nässel
   11. Christian Wegener
   12. Margret Shirinian
   13. Ruth H Palmer

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment:

     This paper characterises a novel gene (Spar), and presenting valuable findings in the field of insect biology and behaviour. The experiments are well designed, with attention to detail, showcasing the potential of the Drosophila melanogaster model and the use of online resources. The mixed approach presents a convincing argument for a genetic interaction between Alk and Spar.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Chromatin and gene expression changes during female Drosophila germline stem cell development illuminate the biology of highly potent stem cells

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Liang-Yu Pang
   2. Steven DeLuca
   3. Haolong Zhu
   4. John M Urban
   5. Allan C Spradling

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important work significantly advances our comprehension of the molecular events occurring during germline stem cell differentiation in the Drosophila melanogaster ovary. The conclusions are strongly supported by compelling evidence, including rigorous data sets and complementary whole-genome analyses. As a result, this research holds substantial interest for developmental and stem cell biologists alike.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. The Calpain-7 protease functions together with the ESCRT-III protein IST1 within the midbody to regulate the timing and completion of abscission

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Elliott L Paine
   2. Jack J Skalicky
   3. Frank G Whitby
   4. Douglas R Mackay
   5. Katharine S Ullman
   6. Christopher P Hill
   7. Wesley I Sundquist

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The manuscript by Paine and coworkers provides a fundamental improvement on how the enzymatic activity of CALPAIN7 (a Cys protease) influences cytokinesis mediated by the ESCRT (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport) pathway. The authors provide a convincing molecular and cellular basis for one of the several key steps involved in membrane fission during the separation of dividing eukaryotic cells. These findings should be of interest to a wide scientific audience including biochemists, structural biologists, and cell biologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Lmx1a is a master regulator of the cortical hem

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Igor Y Iskusnykh
   2. Nikolai Fattakhov
   3. Yiran Li
   4. Laure Bihannic
   5. Matthew K Kirchner
   6. Ekaterina Y Steshina
   7. Paul A Northcott
   8. Victor V Chizhikov

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important work advances our understanding of the generation of a main organizer of the vertebrate brain, the cortical hem. The authors convincingly show the contribution of multiple downstream effectors, each involved in specific processes regulated by the master gene, Lmx1a. This study has broader implications for how secondary organizers are created in the embryo and will be of interest to a wide readership.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Systems level identification of a matrisome-associated macrophage polarisation state in multi-organ fibrosis

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. John F Ouyang
   2. Kunal Mishra
   3. Yi Xie
   4. Harry Park
   5. Kevin Y Huang
   6. Enrico Petretto
   7. Jacques Behmoaras

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study deepens our understanding of macrophage phenotypes in pathological contexts and identifies a new macrophage state associated with tissue fibrosis, as well as putative drivers of this cellular state. The authors provide convincing evidence and performed a well-thought-out and thoroughly described computational analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data. This work will be of broad interest to the fields of tissue inflammation, fibrosis, macrophage biology, and immunology.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Statin-mediated reduction in mitochondrial cholesterol primes an anti-inflammatory response in macrophages by upregulating Jmjd3

    This article has 17 authors:

    1. Zeina Salloum
    2. Kristin Dauner
    3. Yun-feng Li
    4. Neha Verma
    5. David Valdivieso-González
    6. Víctor Almendro-Vedia
    7. John D Zhang
    8. Kiran Nakka
    9. Mei Xi Chen
    10. Jeffrey McDonald
    11. Chase D Corley
    12. Alexander Sorisky
    13. Bao-Liang Song
    14. Iván López-Montero
    15. Jie Luo
    16. Jeffrey F Dilworth
    17. Xiaohui Zha

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      The manuscript by Salloum and colleagues shows that cholesterol-lowering statins can reduce mitochondrial cholesterol and impact epigenetic programs in macrophages. The findings could be valuable for understanding statin-mediated anti-inflammatory functions in macrophages. The major claims describing new mechanisms by which statins may regulate macrophage function via epigenetic programming are partially supported by the data presented.

    Reviewed by eLife