eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Rabies virus-based barcoded neuroanatomy resolved by single-cell RNA and in situ sequencing

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Aixin Zhang
   2. Lei Jin
   3. Shenqin Yao
   4. Makoto Matsuyama
   5. Cindy TJ van Velthoven
   6. Heather Anne Sullivan
   7. Na Sun
   8. Manolis Kellis
   9. Bosiljka Tasic
   10. Ian Wickersham
   11. Xiaoyin Chen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents an important tool for tracking the connectivity of neurons in mouse and potentially other mammals using a combined approach of barcoded rabies virus libraries and spatial transcriptomics. The data supporting the technique are convincing, the validation against known anatomical knowledge is rigorous, and the authors advance the techniques by combing them in vivo. Overall, this is a very good paper describing a technique for tracking neural circuits.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Multiple dynamic interactions from basal ganglia direct and indirect pathways mediate action selection

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Hao Li
   2. Xin Jin

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this valuable manuscript Li & Jin record from the substantial nigra and dorsal striatum to identify subpopulations of neurons with activity that reflects different dynamics during action selection, and then use optogenetics in transgenic mice to selectively inhibit or excite D1- and D2- expressing spiny projection neurons in the striatum, demonstrating a causal role for each in action selection in an opposing manner. They provide solid evidence for the argument that their findings cannot be explained by current models and propose a new 'triple control' model instead, with one direct and two indirect pathways, although direct evidence for a second indirect pathway is still lacking. These findings will be of broad interest to neuroscientists across multiple subfields.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Hippocampal remapping induced by new behavior is mediated by spatial context

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Samuel J. Levy
   2. Michael E. Hasselmo

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The formation of the place cell map in the hippocampus is foundational to many models and is thought to form a substrate onto which memories can be structured. This paper presents an important new observation to our understanding of place cell formation - namely that task learning changes or interferes with the process of place cell map stabilization. Reviewers found that there was incomplete evidence for this result, however, in this version of the manuscript because of a confound between the duration of experience in an environment and task-specific learning.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Comprehensive mutagenesis maps the effect of all single-codon mutations in the AAV2 rep gene on AAV production

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Nina K Jain
   2. Pierce J Ogden
   3. George M Church

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents a valuable and comprehensive mutagenesis map of the AAV2 rep gene, which will undoubtedly capture the interest of scientists working with adeno-associated viruses and those engaged in the field of gene therapy. The thorough characterization of massive rep variants across multiple AAV production systems bolsters the claims made in the study, highlighting its utility in enhancing our understanding of Rep protein function and advancing gene therapy applications. The evidence presented is convincing and establishes a strong foundation that will stimulate and inform future research in the field.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Structural rather than catalytic role for mitochondrial respiratory chain supercomplexes

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Michele Brischigliaro
   2. Alfredo Cabrera-Orefice
   3. Susanne Arnold
   4. Carlo Viscomi
   5. Massimo Zeviani
   6. Erika Fernández-Vizarra

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents valuable findings on the organization of respiratory chain complexes in mitochondria. It provides solid evidence that respiratory supercomplex formation in the fruit fly does not impact respiratory function, suggesting the role of these complexes is structural, rather than catalytic. However, whether the conclusions extend to other species requires further evidence. This manuscript will be of broad interest to the field of mitochondrial bioenergetics.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Rice stripe virus utilizes a Laodelphax striatellus salivary carbonic anhydrase to facilitate plant infection by direct molecular interaction

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Jing Zhao
   2. Xiangyi Meng
   3. Jie Yang
   4. Rongxiang Fang
   5. Yan Huo
   6. Lili Zhang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study presents a well-designed set of experiments demonstrating how a planthopper salivary carbonic anhydrase can promote rice stripe virus infection by modulating callose deposition in the host plant. The authors provide solid data for the proposed protein-protein interactions, including strengthened evidence for the LssaCA-NP-OsTLP complex and clarified dynamics of LssaCA presence in planta. Overall, the work reveals a mechanistic link whereby a vector salivary protein enhances a plant β-1,3-glucanase to suppress callose-based defense, thereby facilitating early viral establishment.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. σ28-dependent small RNA regulation of flagella biosynthesis

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Sahar Melamed
   2. Aixia Zhang
   3. Michal Jarnik
   4. Joshua Mills
   5. Aviezer Silverman
   6. Hongen Zhang
   7. Gisela Storz

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This article provides important findings on how bacteria use small RNAs to regulate flagellar expression with implications for multiple fields. The data supporting the conclusions are convincing with a large amount of data that include results from phenotypic analyses, genomics approaches as well as in-vitro and in-vivo target identification and validation methods. This study on the varied effects of three sRNAs (UhpU, FliX and MotR) is of broad interest to RNA biochemists and microbiologists.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Exploratory mass cytometry analysis reveals immunophenotypes of cancer treatment-related pneumonitis

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Toyoshi Yanagihara
   2. Kentaro Hata
   3. Keisuke Matsubara
   4. Kazufumi Kunimura
   5. Kunihiro Suzuki
   6. Kazuya Tsubouchi
   7. Satoshi Ikegame
   8. Yoshihiro Baba
   9. Yoshinori Fukui
   10. Isamu Okamoto

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents a valuable inventory of immune signatures that are correlated with cancer treatment-related pneumonitis. The data were collected and analysed using validated methodology and can be used as a starting point for further prospective studies. The authors have provided a scRNA-Seq analysis with an HD baseline using publicly available dataset and the evidence for their claims is convincing.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. A novel computational pipeline for var gene expression augments the discovery of changes in the Plasmodium falciparum transcriptome during transition from in vivo to short-term in vitro culture

   This article has 14 authors:

   1. Clare Andradi-Brown
   2. Jan Stephan Wichers-Misterek
   3. Heidrun von Thien
   4. Yannick D Höppner
   5. Judith AM Scholz
   6. Helle Hansson
   7. Emma Filtenborg Hocke
   8. Tim Wolf Gilberger
   9. Michael F Duffy
   10. Thomas Lavstsen
   11. Jake Baum
   12. Thomas D Otto
   13. Aubrey J Cunnington
   14. Anna Bachmann

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     Focusing mainly on var genes, the investigators performed comprehensive computational analyses of gene expression in malaria parasites isolated from patients and assessed changes that occur as these parasites adapt to in vitro culture conditions. The study provides an improved computational pipeline for monitoring var gene expression, and importantly, the study documents changes in expression of the core genome and thus provides insights into metabolic adaptations that parasites undergo while transitioning to culture conditions. The findings are important for their technical advances that are more rigorous than the current state-of-the-art. The solid data analyses, broadly support the claims with only minor weaknesses, tell us to be cautious when interpreting results obtained only from cultured parasites.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. RBP-J regulates homeostasis and function of circulating Ly6Clo monocytes

    This article has 7 authors:

    1. Tiantian Kou
    2. Lan Kang
    3. Bin Zhang
    4. Jiaqi Li
    5. Baohong Zhao
    6. Wenwen Zeng
    7. Xiaoyu Hu

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      This study presents a valuable examination into the role Notch-RBP-J signalling in regulating monocyte subset homeostasis. The data were collected and analysed using solid and validated methodology and can be used as a starting point for exploring the mechanisms involved in RBP-J signalling in non-classical monocytes. The data presented strongly confirm the authors conclusions. However, this paper primarily focuses on providing a description, and additional studies are necessary to fully elucidate the mechanisms through which RBP-J deficiency contributes to the specific increase in Ly6Clo monocyte numbers in both the blood and lungs.

    Reviewed by eLife