eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. A brain-wide analysis maps structural evolution to distinct anatomical module

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Robert A Kozol
   2. Andrew J Conith
   3. Anders Yuiska
   4. Alexia Cree-Newman
   5. Bernadeth Tolentino
   6. Kasey Benesh
   7. Alexandra Paz
   8. Evan Lloyd
   9. Johanna E Kowalko
   10. Alex C Keene
   11. Craig Albertson
   12. Erik R Duboue

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The authors ask if brain regions change based on the functional constraints or developmental constraints. To address this, they introduce an automated method for brain segmentation based on the zebrafish tool to study brain evolution in Astyanax. A caveat is that it is difficult to test the functional constraint hypothesis using this method, though it works well for testing developmental constraints.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. The evolution of colistin resistance increases bacterial resistance to host antimicrobial peptides and virulence

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Pramod K Jangir
   2. Lois Ogunlana
   3. Petra Szili
   4. Marton Czikkely
   5. Liam P Shaw
   6. Emily J Stevens
   7. Yang Yu
   8. Qiue Yang
   9. Yang Wang
   10. Csaba Pál
   11. Timothy R Walsh
   12. Craig R MacLean

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are a class of antibiotics that are inspired by natural components of innate immunity, which raises the specter of bacteria becoming resistant to both. The author this important study test this idea and find compelling evidence that a plasmid that encodes resistance to the AMP colistin also increases resistance to AMPS produced by humans, pigs, and chickens, enables the bacteria to grow better in low levels of AMP, and increases bacterial virulence in an insect model of infection. The study will be of interest to both evolutionary biologists and microbiologists focused on antimicrobial therapy and suggests that the evolution of resistance to these compounds can have collateral effects on immune evasion as well.

   Reviewed by eLife, PREreview

3. Formation and three-dimensional architecture of Leishmania adhesion in the sand fly vector

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Ryuji Yanase
   2. Flávia Moreira-Leite
   3. Edward Rea
   4. Lauren Wilburn
   5. Jovana Sádlová
   6. Barbora Vojtkova
   7. Katerina Pružinová
   8. Atsushi Taniguchi
   9. Shigenori Nonaka
   10. Petr Volf
   11. Jack D Sunter

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important study provides compelling observations of the organization and architecture of haptomonads, a distinct and poorly understood developmental form of Leishmania found in sand fly vectors at later stages of infection. The authors used 3D electron microscopy techniques, including serial block face scanning electron microscopy and electron tomography, to visualize the colonization sand fly by haptomonads in impressive detail.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Fluid extraction from the left-right organizer uncovers mechanical properties needed for symmetry breaking

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Pedro Sampaio
   2. Sara Pestana
   3. Catarina Bota
   4. Adán Guerrero
   5. Ivo A Telley
   6. David Smith
   7. Susana Santos Lopes

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment:

     Sampaio and colleagues utilize an elegant approach to manipulate fluid dynamics in zebrafish Kupffer's vesicle to ask if fluid movement or something in the fluid governs the break in symmetry. These valuable results support a role for fluid movement and detection as important in breaking symmetry in a ciliated left-right organizer and help set a time window when fluid flow is critical for this process. However, as the fluid extraction experiments affect both chemical and physical features, the authors need to provide further convincing evidence to support their mechanosensory hypothesis or temper the claims.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. The autophagy receptor NBR1 directs the clearance of photodamaged chloroplasts

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Han Nim Lee
   2. Jenu Varghese Chacko
   3. Ariadna Gonzalez Solís
   4. Kuo-En Chen
   5. Jessica AS Barros
   6. Santiago Signorelli
   7. A Harvey Millar
   8. Richard David Vierstra
   9. Kevin W Eliceiri
   10. Marisa S Otegui

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this important study, the role of NBR1 in the degradation of photodamaged chloroplasts is analyzed, advancing our knowledge of chloroplast homeostasis in response to environmental stress. The evidence presented is convincing, in some parts even compelling, and the results are valuable for the plant and the autophagy research community.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Pooled genome-wide CRISPR activation screening for rapamycin resistance genes in Drosophila cells

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Baolong Xia
   2. Raghuvir Viswanatha
   3. Yanhui Hu
   4. Stephanie E Mohr
   5. Norbert Perrimon

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This valuable manuscript presents resources for genome-wide genetic perturbation in the fruitfly, Drosophila. The evidence for the usefulness is solid, with the authors demonstrating that they can identify novel genes that affect an important pathway, the mTOR pathway, which plays key roles in cell proliferation and cell death. The genetic resources are significant for their availability to colleagues in the Drosophila community seeking to to identify genes with important cellular functions.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. AGS3 antagonizes LGN to balance oriented cell divisions and cell fate choices in mammalian epidermis

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Carlos P Descovich
   2. Kendall J Lough
   3. Akankshya Jena
   4. Jessica J Wu
   5. Jina Yom
   6. Danielle C Spitzer
   7. Manuela Uppalapati
   8. Katarzyna M Kedziora
   9. Scott E Williams

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     **eLife assessment
     **
     Descovich et al examine the important decision between proliferative (planar) and differentiation (perpendicular) divisions in the basal layers of the skin and find a key promoter of perpendicular divisions is inhibited by its paralog to specify planar divisions. The authors use sophisticated mouse genetics and imaging and discover that LGN and its paralog AGS3 function antagonistically in determining perpendicular vs. planar divisions. Some statements need to be tamed or further backed up, but overall this study provides a significant advance in the field.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Structure–function analysis of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DltE reveals D-alanylated lipoteichoic acids as direct cues supporting Drosophila juvenile growth

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Nikos Nikolopoulos
   2. Renata C Matos
   3. Stephanie Ravaud
   4. Pascal Courtin
   5. Houssam Akherraz
   6. Simon Palussiere
   7. Virginie Gueguen-Chaignon
   8. Marie Salomon-Mallet
   9. Alain Guillot
   10. Yann Guerardel
   11. Marie-Pierre Chapot-Chartier
   12. Christophe Grangeasse
   13. François Leulier

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This is an important study on the role of a bacterial cell wall component, D-alanylated lipoteichoic acid, as a bacteria cue in Drosophila melanogaster-microbiome interactions. Overall, the evidence supporting the conclusions is compelling, with a solid approach combining crystallography with biochemical and cellular assays, that take advantage of both fly and bacterial mutants, to demonstrate a physiological role in juvenile growth promotion. The work will be of broad interest to those studying host-microbe interactions, especially as it is related to immunology and metabolism mediated by the microbiome.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. ERK3/MAPK6 dictates CDC42/RAC1 activity and ARP2/3-dependent actin polymerization

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Katarzyna Bogucka-Janczi
   2. Gregory Harms
   3. Marie-May Coissieux
   4. Mohamed Bentires-Alj
   5. Bernd Thiede
   6. Krishnaraj Rajalingam

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The manuscript describes a fundamental study of the atypical MAPK, ERK3, in the activation of RhoGTPase Cdc42 and the formation of actin-rich protrusions and cell migration. The results show that ERK3 is required for the motility of tumor cells in vivo, providing a new target for fighting metastasis.

   Reviewed by Arcadia Science, eLife

10. Pupil size reflects activation of subcortical ascending arousal system nuclei during rest

    This article has 4 authors:

    1. Beth Lloyd
    2. Lycia D de Voogd
    3. Verónica Mäki-Marttunen
    4. Sander Nieuwenhuis

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      These are important findings that show that pupil size is not only governed by the locus coeruleus but also by other neuromodulatory subcortical systems. Furthermore, the authors demonstrate that using a standard hemodynamic response kernel is not appropriate for capturing the activity of these systems, at least at rest. Thus, this paper presents compelling evidence against two prevalent working assumptions among researchers in the field.

    Reviewed by eLife