eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Genome editing of an African elite rice variety confers resistance against endemic and emerging Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae strains

   This article has 21 authors:

   1. Van Schepler-Luu
   2. Coline Sciallano
   3. Melissa Stiebner
   4. Chonghui Ji
   5. Gabriel Boulard
   6. Amadou Diallo
   7. Florence Auguy
   8. Si Nian Char
   9. Yugander Arra
   10. Kyrylo Schenstnyi
   11. Marcel Buchholzer
   12. Eliza PI Loo
   13. Atugonza L Bilaro
   14. David Lihepanyama
   15. Mohammed Mkuya
   16. Rosemary Murori
   17. Ricardo Oliva
   18. Sebastien Cunnac
   19. Bing Yang
   20. Boris Szurek
   21. Wolf B Frommer

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This valuable study shows that new, virulent genotypes of Xanthomonas oryze pv. oryzae, that are similar to strains present in east Asia, cause outbreaks of bacterial blight of rice in Tanzania. The authors' use of CRISPR-based gene editing on multiple pathogen targets in an elite African rice variety to create lines resistant to both endemic and emerging pathogen strains in Africa makes for a compelling contribution to meet this alarming development. The work describing the new strains of the pathogen is solid but could be stronger if there were genome sequence data for all strains examined and a clearer presentation of recent disease outbreaks and their severity.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Role of the postinspiratory complex in regulating swallow–breathing coordination and other laryngeal behaviors

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Alyssa Huff
   2. Marlusa Karlen-Amarante
   3. Luiz M Oliveira
   4. Jan-Marino Ramirez

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The findings in this study are important, as this brainstem region is implicated in a multitude of functions. The experimental procedures are difficult to implement and the preparation used and the skill required are impressive. The methods and data are solid, however, some analyses are incomplete, and the strength of evidence is also incomplete because the claims are only partially supported by the data. This work will interest those who study respiration, airway protection, and other oral behaviors.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Phosphorylation of tyrosine 90 in SH3 domain is a new regulatory switch controlling Src kinase

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Lenka Koudelková
   2. Markéta Pelantová
   3. Zuzana Brůhová
   4. Martin Sztacho
   5. Vojtěch Pavlík
   6. Dalibor Pánek
   7. Jakub Gemperle
   8. Pavel Talacko
   9. Jan Brábek
   10. Daniel Rösel

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This manuscript explores the potential regulatory role of a previously unstudied phosphorylation site in the Src kinase SH3 domain. A mutant intended to mimic the phosphorylation of this site, Y90E, shows enhanced activity and transforming capacity, reduced mobility in the lipid bilayer, and a more open catalytic structure. In general, these findings are supported by compelling evidence. The paper will be of interest to biochemists and structural biologists studying new mechanisms that are capable of modulating the allosteric regulation of multi-domain protein kinases.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Neuromodulation of striatal D1 cells shapes BOLD fluctuations in anatomically connected thalamic and cortical regions

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Marija Markicevic
   2. Oliver Sturman
   3. Johannes Bohacek
   4. Markus Rudin
   5. Valerio Zerbi
   6. Ben D Fulcher
   7. Nicole Wenderoth

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     Using chemogenetic manipulation, the authors induce or suppress activity in D1 spiny neurons in the dorsomedial striatum of mice. The results effectively demonstrate that excitation or inhibition of this class of neurons results in a consistent behavioral effect that is linked to an impact on local dynamics in thalamic regions that project to this part of the thalamus, as well as cortical regions that can be more readily defined as unimodal as identified by a classification approach. This work has clear relevance to the field of neuroimaging, getting at the broader hemodynamic signatures of direct pathway stimulation in the striatum, but requires critical revisions to justify their main conclusions.

     Using chemogenetic manipulation, the authors induce or suppress activity in D1 spiny neurons in the dorsomedial striatum of mice. The results effectively demonstrate that excitation or inhibition of this class of neurons results in a consistent behavioral effect that is linked to an impact on local dynamics in thalamic regions that project to this part of the thalamus, as well as cortical regions that can be more readily defined as unimodal as identified by a classification approach. This work has clear relevance to the field of neuroimaging, getting at the broader hemodynamic signatures of direct pathway stimulation in the striatum, but requires critical revisions to justify their main conclusions.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. The Uso1 globular head interacts with SNAREs to maintain viability even in the absence of the coiled-coil domain

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Ignacio Bravo-Plaza
   2. Victor G Tagua
   3. Herbert N Arst
   4. Ana Alonso
   5. Mario Pinar
   6. Begoña Monterroso
   7. Antonio Galindo
   8. Miguel A Peñalva

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This paper reports a detailed functional analysis of the Rab1 effector Uso1, and it provides a fundamental advance in our understanding of how ER-derived vesicles deliver their cargo. The authors provide compelling evidence that the key function of Uso1 is promoting SNARE complex formation rather than tethering vesicles as generally assumed. These insights will be of interest to cell and structural biologists who study membrane traffic.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. We couldn't get details of this article at this time:
   10.1101/2023.02.13.528273

7. We couldn't get details of this article at this time:
   10.1101/2023.01.10.521942

8. We couldn't get details of this article at this time:
   10.1101/2023.03.29.534798

9. An armoured marine reptile from the Early Triassic of South China and its phylogenetic and evolutionary implications

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Andrzej S Wolniewicz
   2. Yuefeng Shen
   3. Qiang Li
   4. Yuanyuan Sun
   5. Yu Qiao
   6. Yajie Chen
   7. Yi-Wei Hu
   8. Jun Liu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This paper describes an important new marine reptile specimen. A solid ostelogical description of the saurosphargid Prosaurosphargis yingzishanensis, the earliest known member of this group, combined with a large-scale phylogenetic analysis enhances our understanding of the affinities of a wide range of Triassic reptiles. As such the relevance of this paper goes far beyond the immediate importance of this remarkable fossil - it also sheds light on the position of several important Triassic groups, including Testudinata and Archosauromorpha.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Nested circuits mediate the decision to vocalize

    This article has 3 authors:

    1. Shuyun Xiao
    2. Valerie Michael
    3. Richard Mooney

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      Vocalizations are controlled by neural circuits connecting the amygdala and periaqueductal gray. This study presents valuable measures of the neurons that suppress vocalization in appropriate contexts using a rich variety of behavioural, imaging, optogenetic, and tracing methodologies. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is solid, although their results only hint at the mechanisms that could underlie the hierarchical control of vocalization. The work will be of interest to neurobiologists working on motor control and vocalization.

    Reviewed by eLife