eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. FOXP2 confers oncogenic effects in prostate cancer

   This article has 23 authors:

   1. Xiaoquan Zhu
   2. Chao Chen
   3. Dong Wei
   4. Yong Xu
   5. Siying Liang
   6. Wenlong Jia
   7. Jian Li
   8. Yanchun Qu
   9. Jianpo Zhai
   10. Yaoguang Zhang
   11. Pengjie Wu
   12. Qiang Hao
   13. Linlin Zhang
   14. Wei Zhang
   15. Xinyu Yang
   16. Lin Pan
   17. Ruomei Qi
   18. Yao Li
   19. Feiliang Wang
   20. Rui Yi
   21. Ze Yang
   22. Jianye Wang
   23. Yanyang Zhao

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     The authors identify a new FOXP2-CPED1 gene fusion in prostate cancer that leads to the increased expression of FOXP2 and subsequent transformation of non-cancer cells. Increased FOXP2 was shown to promote prostate cancer in part through the increased expression and activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase MET, a known driver of prostate cancer. Notably, the authors created new genetically engineered mouse models of FOXP2 and FOXP2-CPED1 overexpression in prostate luminal epithelial cells which was sufficient to cause prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in these mice with lesions that confirmed increased MET signaling. Oncogenes are typically interesting drug targets or interact with possible drug targets, and the manuscript could thus have a significant societal impact on better understanding drivers of the disease.

     (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. We couldn't get details of this article at this time:
   10.1101/2022.07.02.498578

3. Molecular mechanism of active Cas7-11 in processing CRISPR RNA and interfering target RNA

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Hemant N Goswami
   2. Jay Rai
   3. Anuska Das
   4. Hong Li

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This manuscript is a timely contribution to the CRISPR/Cas field: the mode of function of the type III-E Cas7-11 CRISPR-Cas system. This is an RNA-guided RNA targeting system only characterized last year. In contrast to Cas13 systems, Cas7-11 does not possess collateral damaging activity, hence does not show cytotoxicity when introduced into human cells. These are highly desirable traits in practical applications. High resolution mechanistic studies would be essential for driving the further development of Cas7-11 based biotechnology applications.

     (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

4. Computational design of peptides to target NaV1.7 channel with high potency and selectivity for the treatment of pain

   This article has 17 authors:

   1. Phuong T Nguyen
   2. Hai M Nguyen
   3. Karen M Wagner
   4. Robert G Stewart
   5. Vikrant Singh
   6. Parashar Thapa
   7. Yi-Je Chen
   8. Mark W Lillya
   9. Anh Tuan Ton
   10. Richard Kondo
   11. Andre Ghetti
   12. Michael W Pennington
   13. Bruce Hammock
   14. Theanne N Griffith
   15. Jon T Sack
   16. Heike Wulff
   17. Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The authors of this manuscript set out to improve on a peptide, ProTxII, which had been previously put forward as a promising blocker of Nav1.7 channels and thus offers a possible non-opiate way to block pain. They develop a useful computational workflow that is based on in silico manipulations of the interaction of ProTxII with a Na channel structure determined previously and evaluation of the predicted mutations with electrophysiology. The authors succeed in producing two peptides with improved selectivity for Nav1.7 over other subtypes and capable of producing ion channel block at low concentrations and the experimental evidence presented is solid, and the general applicability of the method is compelling.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Molecular and anatomical characterization of parabrachial neurons and their axonal projections

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Jordan L Pauli
   2. Jane Y Chen
   3. Marcus L Basiri
   4. Sekun Park
   5. Matthew E Carter
   6. Elisenda Sanz
   7. G Stanley McKnight
   8. Garret D Stuber
   9. Richard D Palmiter

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife assessment

     The parabrachial nuclei are groups of neurons in the brainstem (one on each side) that integrate information about the state of the body to guide appropriate homeostatic responses. The manuscript by Pauli and Chen et al. is a compelling and much-needed study that characterizes the cell types that make up these nuclei and genetic tools to study them. The result is a highly valuable resource to the academic community.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Variation in the ACE2 receptor has limited utility for SARS-CoV-2 host prediction

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Nardus Mollentze
   2. Deborah Keen
   3. Uuriintuya Munkhbayar
   4. Roman Biek
   5. Daniel G Streicker

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This important study shows that methods currently used to predict which animals species might be at risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2, by looking at features of the host cell receptor the virus binds to, are fundamentally flawed, with exceptionally strong support for this conclusion. Much work on the potential host range of SARS-CoV-2 has focused on measuring the susceptibility of different species' ACE2 receptors to sarbecovirus entry and extending predictions to other unmeasured species based on ACE2 sequence features. Mollentze and colleagues show that ACE2 sequences are not more than a proxy for generic species relationships. In other words, species phylogeny alone can provide equivalent predictive power, allowing for predictions of mammalian susceptibility to sarbecovirus infection for the many species for which ACE2 sequences are not known yet.

     (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, ScreenIT

7. A novel fold for acyltransferase-3 (AT3) proteins provides a framework for transmembrane acyl-group transfer

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Kahlan E Newman
   2. Sarah N Tindall
   3. Sophie L Mader
   4. Syma Khalid
   5. Gavin H Thomas
   6. Marjan W Van Der Woude

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     By integrating a range of computational techniques, the authors generated a structural model for the AT3 domain, which is predicted to adopt a new fold. The key features of the structural model are consistent with the activity of the enzyme as an acyltransferase, with a transmembrane channel that can accommodate an acyl-CoA donor, and an outer cavity formed with a second domain that can accommodate a nascent LPS molecule as substrate. Overall, the study will help stimulate specific experimental analyses that can further evaluate and improve the model for better mechanistic understanding of this class of enzymes. The work will be of interest to structural biologists, and all studying acyltransferase enzymes.

     (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. A novel monocyte differentiation pattern in pristane-induced lupus with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Shuhong Han
   2. Haoyang Zhuang
   3. Rawad Daniel Arja
   4. Westley H Reeves

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     The authors dissect the phenotypes of bone-marrow derived myeloid cells in a murine model of pulmonary vasculitis with relevance to human disease, revealing the association of novel phenotypic subsets associated with lung injury, yet the role of these subsets in regulating or contributing to tissue injury is less clearly determined.

     (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 reviewer remained anonymous to the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

9. High spatial resolution analysis using automated indentation mapping differentiates biomechanical properties of normal vs. degenerated articular cartilage in mice

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Anand O Masson
   2. Bryce Besler
   3. W Brent Edwards
   4. Roman J Krawetz

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     The work presented by Masson et al. highlights experimental approaches using spatial indentation and contrast-enhanced 3-D x-ray imaging to topographically map cartilage thickness in mouse knee joints. This methods described have the potential to impact the field of musculoskeletal biomechanics, especially for researchers using mouse models to study cartilage wear and disease, given the high resolution and sensitivity of the described approaches.

     (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

10. Integration of mouse ovary morphogenesis with developmental dynamics of the oviduct, ovarian ligaments, and rete ovarii

    This article has 6 authors:

    1. Jennifer McKey
    2. Dilara N Anbarci
    3. Corey Bunce
    4. Alejandra E Ontiveros
    5. Richard R Behringer
    6. Blanche Capel

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      Evaluation Summary:

      This work describes mouse ovary morphogenesis from E14.5 to birth using recently developed methods combining CUBIC and iDISCO and optimized 3D imaging using light sheet microscopy. The manuscript is of interest to all developmental biologists as it will serve as a reference to whole embryo morphogenesis, in particular vertebrate ovary morphogenetic processes.

      (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