eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. The role of MICOS in organizing mitochondrial cristae in malaria parasites

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Silvia Tassan-Lugrezin
   2. Irina Bregy
   3. Judith López Orra
   4. Nicholas I Proellochs
   5. Geert-Jan van Gemert
   6. Rianne Stoter
   7. Felix Evers
   8. Taco WA Kooij
   9. Laura van Niftrik

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides valuable insights into mitochondrial cristae organization in Plasmodium falciparum, particularly in the context of its divergent MICOS composition. The authors present convincing evidence, supported by phenotypic and morphological analyses, that cristae junction maintenance can be uncoupled from de novo cristae formation, reinforcing an emerging model of mitochondrial inner membrane organization. Notably, the absence of Mic10 alongside an enlarged and divergent MICOS complex highlights an intriguing evolutionary adaptation, although further characterization of the complex would strengthen the study's overall significance.

     [Editors' note: this paper was reviewed by Review Commons.]

   Reviewed by eLife, Review Commons

2. Regulation of sphingolipid synthesis by the C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor Com2 through ubiquitin-proteasome mediated degradation pathway

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Kosei Matsumoto
   2. Ayane Nagai
   3. Nao Komatsu
   4. Yuko Ishino
   5. Rina Shirai
   6. Toshiya Ueno
   7. Mio Masaki
   8. Ken-taro Sakata
   9. Motohiro Tani
   10. Tatsuya Maeda
   11. Naotaka Tanaka
   12. Mitsuaki Tabuchi

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides valuable insights into how cells maintain sphingolipid homeostasis through transcriptional control and regulated protein degradation in response to changes in sphingolipid levels. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing overall, with solid genetic and biochemical approaches, while some mechanistic aspects remain to be clarified. This work will be of interest to researchers studying lipid metabolism and membrane biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Allosteric disulfide control of ligand binding and endocytosis of KIR2DL4, the natural killer cell receptor for HLA-G

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Sumati Rajagopalan
   2. Joyce Chiu
   3. Priyanka Chaurasia
   4. Jinghua Lu
   5. George M Mastorakos
   6. Saurav Majumder
   7. Kristof T Nolan
   8. Jan Petersen
   9. Erin J Adams
   10. Peter D Sun
   11. Jamie Rossjohn
   12. Philip J Hogg
   13. Eric O Long

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study provides new insights into how extracellular-domain disulfide configurations regulate ligand binding and endocytosis of the natural killer cell receptor KIR2DL4, identifying a conformational switch that provides a mechanistic framework for receptor trafficking. The evidence supporting the main conclusions is solid, with complementary biochemical, structural, and functional approaches providing strong support for alternative disulfide configurations and their role in regulating receptor behavior. The work will be of interest to researchers studying natural killer cell biology, immune receptor signaling, and protein disulfide regulation.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Binding Entropy Can Be Predicted by Crystallographic Ensembles

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Charlotte A Miller
   2. Stephanie A Wankowicz

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides a useful demonstration that, at least for the systems examined, aspects of the entropic contribution to protein-ligand binding can be inferred directly from crystallographic data. In doing so, it strengthens a view of crystal structures as heterogeneous ensembles that are amenable to statistical-mechanical analysis rather than purely static models. The analytical approaches are carefully developed and transparently discussed, with thoughtful consideration of both successful and less effective methods, lending solid support to the central conclusions. However, because the analysis is based on a relatively small and narrowly sampled set of protein-ligand complexes, the generality of these findings remains speculative and will require broader validation.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Brainwide dopamine dynamics across sleep-wake transitions

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Changwan Chen
   2. Xun Tu
   3. Lihui Lu
   4. Cody Pham
   5. Xiaofan Zhang
   6. Rachel Su
   7. Ella Li
   8. Zihan Jin
   9. Wenqing Cao
   10. Yipching Yang
   11. Matthew Kihiczak
   12. Kristal Hui
   13. Dana Darmohray

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides important insights regarding the temporal dynamics of dopamine across sleep/wake transitions in several brain areas. Using multi-site fiber photometry combined with EEG/EMG recordings, the study revealed heterogenous dynamics across both cortical and several subcortical areas. Although the evidence for these observations is solid, evidence for the proposed mechanisms driving DA dynamics is incomplete. Overall, the study may have a substantial impact on several fields working on the neurobiology of DA signaling.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Actin-membrane interface stress regulates Arp2/3-branched actin density during lamellipodial protrusion

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Mitchell T. Butler
   2. Max A. Hockenberry
   3. Harrison H. Truscott
   4. Wesley R. Legant
   5. James E. Bear

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides direct and compelling evidence that lamellipodial protrusions dynamically adjust Arp2/3 complex incorporation in response to mechanical counterforces, while also modulating cellular responsiveness to upstream signals like Rac GTPase. By combining endogenous labeling, live-cell imaging, and optogenetic signaling activation, the work demonstrates how adhesion state and physicochemical perturbations reproducibly alter branched actin organization, offering a fundamental advance over previous works. The findings deliver significant insights that will resonate broadly with cell biologists and biochemists studying actin dynamics and mechanotransduction.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Light-entrained chromatin priming poises rapid metamorphosis in a marine sponge

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Huifang Yuan
   2. Oceane Blard
   3. Zac Pujic
   4. Bernard M Degnan
   5. Sandie M Degnan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     In this study, Yuan and colleagues carry out transcriptomic and epigenomic experiments to study open chromatin regions and transcripts that change upon larval settlement in the sponge Amphimedon. The authors present compelling evidence to show that sponge larvae prepare for receiving an environmental cue (sunset) by extensively modifying their chromatin accessibility. The study represents a fundamental advance in understanding the fine genetic control of larval settlement and has significance beyond the immediate field of sponge larval biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. ATP-driven conformational dynamics reveal hidden intermediates in a heterodimeric ABC transporter

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Matija Pečak
   2. Christoph Nocker
   3. Robert Tampé

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The study presents important findings revealing previously unresolved conformational dynamics of the heterodimeric type IV ABC transporter TmrAB using single-molecule FRET. The evidence presented is convincing, integrating careful experimental design with computational approaches to uncover states that are typically masked and difficult to detect. The work will be of interest to scientists studying the molecular mechanisms of primary active transport processes.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Class-wide sequence, structural, and docking-profile diversity of insect odorant receptors and structural specialization of Orco

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Tianmin Zhang
   2. Xuanxiao Yang
   3. Yufang Fu
   4. Wei Xue
   5. Yifeng Zhang
   6. Suyang Duan
   7. Yangming Yin
   8. Yi Guo
   9. Chenxi Gao
   10. Yang Liu
   11. Gang Li
   12. Chang Xu
   13. Huimeng Lu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important large-scale comparative study of odorant receptor (OR) genes across more than 100 insect species, combining sequence- and structure-based approaches, represents a significant contribution in the exploration of the evolution of this large gene family involved in the detection of odorant signals by olfactory neurons. Most notably, the authors uncover a structural feature unique to the odorant receptor co-receptor Orco that reduces ligand binding affinity. From this solid data emerges a general integrative framework to apprehend the diversity and evolution of odorant receptor genes in insects.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Nicotine-driven hyperactivation of larval locomotion

    This article has 8 authors:

    1. Stephanie Dancausse
    2. Jocelyn Robles
    3. Jenna Fitzpatrick
    4. Carolyn Garcia
    5. Oshani Fernando
    6. Anastasiia Evans
    7. James D Baker
    8. Mason Klein

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      The study presents useful findings on the behavioral effects of nicotine exposure, suggesting the Drosophila larva as a potential model organism for studying underlying neural circuits. However, the evidence supporting the claims of the authors is incomplete and would benefit from more rigorous analysis and explanations. The study falls short of identifying the neural mechanisms and is therefore of interest to those with an interest in pharmacology and behavior.

    Reviewed by eLife