eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Gating interactions steer loop conformational changes in the active site of the L1 metallo-β-lactamase

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Zhuoran Zhao
   2. Xiayu Shen
   3. Shuang Chen
   4. Jing Gu
   5. Haun Wang
   6. Maria F Mojica
   7. Moumita Samanta
   8. Debsindhu Bhowmik
   9. Alejandro J Vila
   10. Robert A Bonomo
   11. Shozeb Haider

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this useful study, the authors utilize state-of-the-art computational methods complemented with some experimental validation to investigate the dynamics of flexible loops of the L1 Metallo-β-lactamase enzyme, resulting in a better understanding of the various conformational states useful for the rational design of superior β-lactamase inhibitors/antibiotics. The evidence supporting the claims is solid, and the work will be of interest to computational, experimental biologists, and drug designers working on antibiotic resistance.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Molecular characterization of the intact mouse muscle spindle using a multi-omics approach

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Bavat Bornstein
   2. Lia Heinemann-Yerushalmi
   3. Sharon Krief
   4. Ruth Adler
   5. Bareket Dassa
   6. Dena Leshkowitz
   7. Minchul Kim
   8. Guy Bewick
   9. Robert W Banks
   10. Elazar Zelzer

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This manuscript is of potential interest for a broad spectrum of researchers working on the nervous and muscular systems. By combining transcriptome and proteome analyses, the authors reveal the molecular makeup of the different compartments of the muscle spindle. The work is novel, makes important observations, and is well-executed and methodologically convincing to provide the field with new tools for dissecting the development and function of the muscle spindle.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Enhanced single RNA imaging reveals dynamic gene expression in live animals

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Yucen Hu
   2. Jingxiu Xu
   3. Erqing Gao
   4. Xueyuan Fan
   5. Jieli Wei
   6. Bingcheng Ye
   7. Suhong Xu
   8. Weirui Ma

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this manuscript, the authors devised a new, useful mRNA-imaging approach by combining MS2 and SunTag labeling systems. The authors showed that this new method can be used to image the activation of gene expression and endogenous mRNA dynamics in live C. elegans. While the application in C. elegans has great future potential, this study is incomplete because it lacks essential characterization of the new imaging method to demonstrate that it does not interfere with RNA expression.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Recruitment of Polo-like kinase couples synapsis to meiotic progression via inactivation of CHK-2

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Liangyu Zhang
   2. Weston T Stauffer
   3. John S Wang
   4. Fan Wu
   5. Zhouliang Yu
   6. Chenshu Liu
   7. Hyung Jun Kim
   8. Abby F Dernburg

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     Zhang et al. present convincing data describing a role for Polo-like kinase PLK-2 in restricting the activity of Chk2 kinase and coordinating synapsis of homologous chromosomes with the progression of meiotic prophase in C. elegans. By revealing PLK-2-dependent and -independent mechanisms of CHK-2 activity, this work provides a valuable understanding of the major regulators of meiotic progression.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Ecdysone acts through cortex glia to regulate sleep in Drosophila

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Yongjun Li
   2. Paula Haynes
   3. Shirley L Zhang
   4. Zhifeng Yue
   5. Amita Sehgal

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     Li and colleague report observations that constitute a potentially fundamental advance, pointing to a mechanism by which non-neural cells can influence sleep regulation by neurons, The authors provide evidence in Drosophila showing that ecdysone synthesised outside the brain regulates sleep via ecdysone receptors in cortex glia. It further suggests that steroid signalling in glia can act on sleep through lipid droplet mobilization.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Endo-lysosomal assembly variations among human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA class I) allotypes

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Eli Olson
   2. Theadora Ceccarelli
   3. Malini Raghavan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     In this manuscript, the authors provide mechanisms by which HLA-I polymorphism affects the capacity in the endo-lysosomal assembly of HLA-I molecules for constitutive expression and during cross-presentation. The findings may have implications for allotype-dependent variation in T cell responses to antigens localized in different subcellular compartments. However, additional biochemical and quantitative data is essential to bolster the central claims of the paper.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Reading instruction causes changes in category-selective visual cortex

   This article has 14 authors:

   1. Jason D. Yeatman
   2. Daniel R. McCloy
   3. Sendy Caffarra
   4. Maggie D. Clarke
   5. Suzanne Ender
   6. Liesbeth Gijbels
   7. Sung Jun Joo
   8. Emily C. Kubota
   9. Patricia K. Kuhl
   10. Eric Larson
   11. Gabrielle O’Brien
   12. Erica R. Peterson
   13. Megumi E. Takada
   14. Samu Taulu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The study is important in that it investigates the effect of reading acquisition on neural responses experimentally, randomly assigning children to one of two training groups. The results provide solid evidence for learning-related changes in the (late) neural response to words, but it is not clear whether this reflects category-specific changes in visual cortex tuning. As such, the study may not yet provide a clear answer to the neuronal recycling debate within which it was framed. This paper is of potential interest to a broad audience of neuroscientists, as it addresses fundamental questions regarding the re-organization of functional cortical responses associated with learning to read.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Experience-dependent flexibility in a molecularly diverse central-to-peripheral auditory feedback system

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Michelle M Frank
   2. Austen A Sitko
   3. Kirupa Suthakar
   4. Lester Torres Cadenas
   5. Mackenzie Hunt
   6. Mary Caroline Yuk
   7. Catherine JC Weisz
   8. Lisa V Goodrich

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This important paper provides detailed cellular and molecular characterization of the olivocochlear efferents that project to the inner ear. These specialized motoneurons are the only source of feedback from the brain to the ear and have been difficult to access. This study convincingly categorizes the efferents, using single nucleus RNA-sequencing and 3D reconstructions of individual fibers and their pre-synaptic contacts onto target neurons in the cochlea.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Phosphate starvation signaling increases mitochondrial membrane potential through respiration-independent mechanisms

   This article has 20 authors:

   1. Yeyun Ouyang
   2. Mi-Young Jeong
   3. Corey N Cunningham
   4. Jordan A Berg
   5. Ashish G Toshniwal
   6. Casey E Hughes
   7. Kristina Seiler
   8. Jonathan G Van Vranken
   9. Ahmad A Cluntun
   10. Geanette Lam
   11. Jacob M Winter
   12. Emel Akdogan
   13. Katja K Dove
   14. Sara M Nowinski
   15. Matthew West
   16. Greg Odorizzi
   17. Steven P Gygi
   18. Cory D Dunn
   19. Dennis R Winge
   20. Jared Rutter

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This study presents important findings on the regulation of the phosphate export cycle and identify the phosphatase Sit4 as a crucial player in regulation of the inner membrane potential of mitochondria. Whereas some of the data are convincing, the analyses will profit from deeper insights concerning metabolism alterations (carbon sources, amino acids). The major strength however is a new insight on how the cells use alternative ways for maintaining a critical mitochondrial inner membrane potential, and therefore this study is interesting to the broad audience with interests spanning from bioenergetics, metabolism and organellar and cell biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Autofluorescence imaging permits label-free cell type assignment and reveals the dynamic formation of airway secretory cell associated antigen passages (SAPs)

    This article has 7 authors:

    1. Viral S Shah
    2. Jue Hou
    3. Vladimir Vinarsky
    4. Jiajie Xu
    5. Manalee V Surve
    6. Charles P Lin
    7. Jayaraj Rajagopal

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife assessment

      This interesting and important methodologic study presents exciting new data identifying approaches to evaluating the cell biology of lung disease. Namely, the ability to identify and track dynamic and coordinated activities of multiple composite cell types in response to experimental interventions. They have developed an interesting label-free approach that collects biologically-encoded autofluorescence of epithelial cells by 2-photon imaging of mouse tracheal explant culture over 2 days. This study has the potential to inform a variety of experimental conditions in lung injury and repair.

    Reviewed by eLife