eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Systematic analysis of membrane contact sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae uncovers modulators of cellular lipid distribution

   This article has 20 authors:

   1. Inês Gomes Castro
   2. Shawn P Shortill
   3. Samantha Katarzyna Dziurdzik
   4. Angela Cadou
   5. Suriakarthiga Ganesan
   6. Rosario Valenti
   7. Yotam David
   8. Michael Davey
   9. Carsten Mattes
   10. Ffion B Thomas
   11. Reut Ester Avraham
   12. Hadar Meyer
   13. Amir Fadel
   14. Emma J Fenech
   15. Robert Ernst
   16. Vanina Zaremberg
   17. Tim P Levine
   18. Christopher Stefan
   19. Elizabeth Conibear
   20. Maya Schuldiner

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     In this manuscript, the authors perform an extensive systematic analysis of membrane contacts sites to uncover novel proteins required for tethering organelles and modulation of membrane contacts. The authors identify over 100 new potential contact site proteins and effectors including proteins associated with the recently discovered plasma membrane-LD (pClip) and Golgi-peroxisome (GoPo) contact sites. Further, the authors identify and characterize novel lipid transport proteins associated with the pClip as well as Lec1, an ER-Lipid droplet contact site associated protein which contains a novel putative lipid binding domain and may facilitate ergosterol transport between the plasma membrane and lipid droplets.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. The reviewers remained anonymous to the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Mechanosensitive pore opening of a prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channel

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Peter R Strege
   2. Luke M Cowan
   3. Constanza Alcaino
   4. Amelia Mazzone
   5. Christopher A Ahern
   6. Lorin S Milescu
   7. Gianrico Farrugia
   8. Arthur Beyder

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     This manuscript presents a biophysical study of the nature of the mechanosensitivity of voltage-gated sodium channels. The identification of a voltage-independent mechanosensitive step is well founded, the proposal that this step is the intracellular gate is plausible speculation. It is expected to be of interest to scientists studying the physical basis of mechanosensitivity in electrophysiology.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Structural basis of Yta7 ATPase-mediated nucleosome disassembly

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Feng Wang
   2. Xiang Feng
   3. Qing He
   4. Hua Li
   5. Huilin Li

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     This manuscript presents the cryo-EM structure of the Yta7 chromatin remodeler, which provides new mechanistic insight into how this AAA+ protein unfolds histone H3 in yeast for DNA replication. The study details the putative role of the C-terminal bromodomains, as well as an N-terminal bromo-interaction motif, in engaging nucleosomes for subsequent capture of the H3 tail for ATP-driven translocation by the upper AAA1 ring. The accompanying functional work helps establish the proposed nucleosome recognition mechanism, providing a structural framework that may be generally used by AAA+ nucleosome remodelers. The work will be of interest to colleagues in chromatin biology as well as all who study the very large family of AAA-ATPases.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1 and Reviewer #3 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Translational rapid ultraviolet-excited sectioning tomography for whole-organ multicolor imaging with real-time molecular staining

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Wentao Yu
   2. Lei Kang
   3. Victor TC Tsang
   4. Yan Zhang
   5. Ivy HM Wong
   6. Terence TW Wong

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     This paper demonstrates an integrated labeling and block face fluorescence imaging method that enables the rapid evaluation of biological specimens as large as an E18 mouse embryo with single cell resolution. Such capabilities will likely be of great interest to developmental biologists and pathologists. While the approach can be considered a major step forward, additional experimental support is necessary to gauge how quantitative the method is.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. The reviewers remained anonymous to the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Maximizing CRISPRi efficacy and accessibility with dual-sgRNA libraries and optimal effectors

   This article has 18 authors:

   1. Joseph M Replogle
   2. Jessica L Bonnar
   3. Angela N Pogson
   4. Christina R Liem
   5. Nolan K Maier
   6. Yufang Ding
   7. Baylee J Russell
   8. Xingren Wang
   9. Kun Leng
   10. Alina Guna
   11. Thomas M Norman
   12. Ryan A Pak
   13. Daniel M Ramos
   14. Michael E Ward
   15. Luke A Gilbert
   16. Martin Kampmann
   17. Jonathan S Weissman
   18. Marco Jost

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     Replogle et al. present their design of a compact and functionally validated dual sgRNA libary and dCas9-effector protein that will enable new forms of CRISPRi-based screening in mammalian cells. Quantitative comparisons to previously published standards demonstrate strengths and weaknesses, which, along with the protocols and design strategies outlined, should enable end users to rapidly adopt their approach.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Oligodendrocyte-mediated myelin plasticity and its role in neural synchronization

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Sinisa Pajevic
   2. Dietmar Plenz
   3. Peter J Basser
   4. R Douglas Fields

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     This paper presents a new mathematical model describing biologically plausible feedback that glial cells might use to properly modify the conduction velocity in axons and promote optimal timing of neural impulses through changes in myelination. This problem is of great importance in the field of neuronal plasticity. The mathematical model is solid and predicts that individual oligodendrocytes are able to modify their myelination pattern in response to correlated action potentials. This work provides an important step forward by providing the theory for myelin-mediated neuronal plasticity. The study will benefit from adapting physiological parameters for oligodendrocytes that are guided by experimental data.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #2 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Fiber-specific structural properties relate to reading skills in children and adolescents

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Steven Lee Meisler
   2. John DE Gabrieli

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     This study presents a large sample of participants ranging from 6-18 years investigating the association between white matter measures and reading using a sophisticated analysis. The results show a clear association between intra-axonal volume and single-word reading abilities. In sum, this valuable study complements other large-scale studies by applying sophisticated fixel-based analyses.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Contrasting effects of Ksr2, an obesity gene, on trabecular bone volume and bone marrow adiposity

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Gustavo A Gomez
   2. Charles H Rundle
   3. Weirong Xing
   4. Chandrasekhar Kesavan
   5. Sheila Pourteymoor
   6. Robert E Lewis
   7. David R Powell
   8. Subburaman Mohan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     This is a very valuable study that describes the bone phenotype and mechanism of the action of the obesity gene Ksr2. That there is a site-selective bone phenotype is interesting as is the identification of KSR2 as an actionable target.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. The reviewers remained anonymous to the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Synthetic analysis of chromatin tracing and live-cell imaging indicates pervasive spatial coupling between genes

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Christopher H. Bohrer
   2. Daniel R. Larson

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment:

     The authors use their expertise in live-cell imaging and mathematical modeling to explore the relationship between chromatin structure, gene positioning and transcriptional co-regulation, using two publicly available datasets encompassing chromatin tracing and transcriptional activity. The resulting analysis reveals a weak association between transcription and proximity, but needs more statistical validation to strengthen the validity of the conclusions. With some clarifications and revisions, several findings, such as coupling of spatiotemporal positioning with activity, in-depth analysis of existing imaging/ChIP-seq datasets, could make this work impactful to both specialists and non-specialists.

     (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1 and Reviewer #2 agreed to share their names with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

10. Human and macaque pairs employ different coordination strategies in a transparent decision game

    This article has 6 authors:

    1. Sebastian Moeller
    2. Anton M Unakafov
    3. Julia Fischer
    4. Alexander Gail
    5. Stefan Treue
    6. Igor Kagan

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment:

      This paper by Möller and colleagues investigates and compares spontaneous turn-taking behavior by pairs of macaque monkeys and human participants in a social coordination game. The study uses a novel format for interaction - the "transparent game" in which subjects play together on a clear glass screen, so that decisions take on properties of continuousness. The results suggest differences between species in their tendencies toward cooperative, mutually beneficial behaviors, with humans exhibiting more prosocial tendencies. Interestingly, training with humans could encourage the monkeys to become less selfish and adopt a turn-taking strategy. The behavior analyses are rigorous and convincingly support the conclusions, and the study is likely to be of interest to researchers in the field of social neuroscience and decision-making, as well as to a more general audience who studies cognition, psychology, economics, especially game theory, and animal behavior.

      (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #2 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

    Reviewed by eLife