eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Postsynaptic plasticity of cholinergic synapses underlies the induction and expression of appetitive memories in Drosophila

   This article has 14 authors:

   1. Carlotta Pribbenow
   2. Yi-chun Chen
   3. Michael-Marcel Heim
   4. Desiree Laber
   5. Silas Reubold
   6. Eric Reynolds
   7. Isabella Balles
   8. Raquel Suárez Grimalt
   9. Carolin Rauch
   10. Jörg Rösner
   11. Gregor Lichtner
   12. Sridhar R. Jagannathan
   13. Tania Fernández-d.V. Alquicira
   14. David Owald

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     Synaptic plasticity can take place on the presynaptic and/or postsynaptic sites, and these two sites of plasticity are known to involve distinct mechanisms. Using a combined approach of physiology, Drosophila genetics, and behaviour, this study provides evidence that postsynaptic mechanisms underlie plasticity for olfactory learning. This complements the field knowledge that olfactory associative learning largely relies on the presynaptic mechanism in mushroom body neurons. The paper also emphasizes the similarities in learning and memory mechanisms between vertebrates and invertebrates.

     (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

2. Regulated degradation of the inner nuclear membrane protein SUN2 maintains nuclear envelope architecture and function

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Logesvaran Krshnan
   2. Wingyan Skyla Siu
   3. Michael Van de Weijer
   4. Daniel Hayward
   5. Elena Navarro Guerrero
   6. Ulrike Gruneberg
   7. Pedro Carvalho

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     The paper provides fundamental information through the identification of an E3 ligase and kinase/phosphatase regulatory machinery that regulates the inner nuclear membrane protein SUN2 using a GFP-based assay. The data reveal a model involving extraction of ubiquitylation of SUN2 from the membrane by p97, which is an important contribution to the field. Although the biochemical evidence is solid on the GFP-tagged SUN2 protein, one question is the extent to which this pathway works on endogenous SUN2 and the extent to which this is a quality control mechanism for turnover of unassembled SUN2 or whether it acts on the fully assembled complex.

     (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 #3 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

3. A specific role for importin-5 and NASP in the import and nuclear hand-off of monomeric H3

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Alonso Javier Pardal
   2. Andrew James Bowman

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This is a very fundamental study that challenges the paradigm that histones H3 and H4 are imported to the nucleus primarily as heterodimers. Instead this study provides compelling evidence that H3 and H4 are imported by importin 5 as monomers and dimerize on chaperones in the nucleus. The work is of relevance to colleagues studying nuclear import and epigenetic regulation.

     (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, Reviewer #2 and Reviewer #3 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

4. miRNA-27a is essential for bone remodeling by modulating p62-mediated osteoclast signaling

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Shumin Wang
   2. Eri O Maruyama
   3. John Martinez
   4. Justin Lopes
   5. Trunee Hsu
   6. Wencheng Wu
   7. Wei Hsu
   8. Takamitsu Maruyama

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     The authors show that MiR-27a affects osteoclast-mediated bone resorption but not osteoblast-mediated bone formation during skeletal remodeling. Through gene profiling and bioinformatics study authors also identify the specific target of miR-27a in the osteoclast gene. MiR-27a exerts its effects on osteoclast differentiation through modulation of P62. This paper is of interest to scientists within the field of bone biology. The manuscript data analysis and conclusion are clear and directly supporting the previous known findings.

     (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. RPG acts as a central determinant for infectosome formation and cellular polarization during intracellular rhizobial infections

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Beatrice Lace
   2. Chao Su
   3. Daniel Invernot Perez
   4. Marta Rodriguez-Franco
   5. Tatiana Vernié
   6. Morgane Batzenschlager
   7. Sabrina Egli
   8. Cheng-Wu Liu
   9. Thomas Ott

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     This work, which will be of interest to all who study plant-microbe interactions as well as plant cell biology, addresses a fundamental question in symbiosis, placing a classic nodulation defective mutant (rpg) into a plausible protein complex and establishing a hierarchy of "infectosome" assembly. Evidence includes convincing genetics and subcellular localization of components during establishment and maintenance of infection. The study also includes compelling new FLIM-based imaging techniques to distinguish signals from closely associated domains in plant cells.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Lack of ownership of mobile phones could hinder the rollout of mHealth interventions in Africa

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Justin T Okano
   2. Joan Ponce
   3. Matthias Krönke
   4. Sally Blower

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This study used 2017-2018 Afrobarometer surveys of more than 45,000 individuals to examine the association between the ownership of mobile phones and proximity to a health clinic in 33 African countries. Findings show that about 40% of people own smartphones and those who live closer to health clinics are more likely to own a mobile phone. This manuscript will be of interest to all people who are involved in the design and implementation of mHealth interventions in Africa.

     (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

7. The NAD+ precursor NMN activates dSarm to trigger axon degeneration in Drosophila

   This article has 14 authors:

   1. Arnau Llobet Rosell
   2. Maria Paglione
   3. Jonathan Gilley
   4. Magdalena Kocia
   5. Giulia Perillo
   6. Massimiliano Gasparrini
   7. Lucia Cialabrini
   8. Nadia Raffaelli
   9. Carlo Angeletti
   10. Giuseppe Orsomando
   11. Pei-Hsuan Wu
   12. Michael P Coleman
   13. Andrea Loreto
   14. Lukas Jakob Neukomm

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     Regulation of NAD and its intermediary metabolites is of critical importance in axon degeneration and in neurodegenerative disease. In mammals, the SARM1 NADase has been shown to be a metabolic sensor activated by an increase in the NMN/NAD+ ratio and SARM1 activation then leads to catastrophic energetic collapse and axon degeneration in disease and injury. This manuscript clarifies the role of NMN in activating the axon degeneration trigger dSARM in Drosophila. The authors analyze the signaling role of NMN, a NAD precursor metabolite involved in injury-induced axon degeneration, by overexpressing NMN-D, a prokaryotic enzyme that consumes NMN, using a stabilized version allowing for prolonged NMN depletion, and find that it is strongly protective in several in vivo injury paradigms in flies. This paper will be of interest to those in the neurodegeneration/axon injury field in general as an extensive set of optimized reagents is presented, confirming the crucial role of for exploring NAD-related axon degenerative pathways, and providing tools for neuroscientists to use Drosophila as a model for neurodegenerative research.

     (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

8. Prolonged partner separation erodes nucleus accumbens transcriptional signatures of pair bonding in male prairie voles

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Julie M Sadino
   2. Xander G Bradeen
   3. Conor J Kelly
   4. Liza E Brusman
   5. Deena M Walker
   6. Zoe R Donaldson

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This work will be of interest to behavioral neuroscientists with a focus on social behavior. The interrogation of the transcriptional signature of pair-bonding, in both short and long-term, is unique and made possible with the use of the monogamous vole. That there is a "degrading" of the transcriptome of pair bonding following separation is evident but there is a gap in understanding how the gene expression changes relate to 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 #1 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Chemical Links Between Redox Conditions and Estimated Community Proteomes from 16S rRNA and Reference Protein Sequences

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Jeffrey M. Dick
   2. Jingqiang Tan

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This study presents an in-depth analyses of carbon oxidation state and hydration state of proteomes in different taxa and environmental settings, which contributes to our understanding of how microbial communities are shaped by their surroundings. The study has merit, but there also some technical weaknesses.

     (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

10. Tau seeds translocate across the cell membrane to initiate aggregation

    This article has 9 authors:

    1. Dana A. Dodd
    2. Michael LaCroix
    3. Clarissa Valdez
    4. Gregory M. Knox
    5. Anthony R. Vega
    6. Ashwani Kumar
    7. Chao Xing
    8. Charles L. White
    9. Marc I. Diamond

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      Evaluation Summary:

      Deposition of hyperphosphorylated misfolded tau is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, but the exact mechanisms by which misfolded tau spreads to adjacent areas of the brain are not known. In this manuscript, which will be of broad interest to cell biologists and neuroscientists, the authors suggest that tau fibrils that translocate directly through the cell membrane induce aggregation of cytosolic tau. While the results appear stunning, there are alternative explanations to the authors' hypothesis that require further investigation.

      (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