eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Gamma Synchrony Mediates Figure-Ground Perception

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Maryam Karimian
   2. Mark J Roberts
   3. Peter De Weerd
   4. Mario Senden

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     Karimian et al. present a valuable new model to explain how gamma-band synchrony (30-80 Hz) can support human visual feature binding by selectively grouping image elements, countering recent criticisms that the stimulus dependence of gamma oscillations limits their functional role. Grounded in the theory of weakly coupled oscillators and informed by primate electrophysiology, the model captures behavioural patterns observed in human psychophysics, offering support for the potential role of synchrony-based mechanisms, but incomplete evidence for a specific role of gamma oscillations. This work could be strengthened by more direct evidence for the proposed mechanism, and expanding beyond figure-only model inputs with limited ecological validity.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Coenzyme A governs proinflammatory macrophage metabolism

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Greg. A Timblin
   2. Kevin. M Tharp
   3. Johanna ten Hoeve
   4. Daniel S Kantner
   5. Ilayda Baydemir
   6. Eric A Noel
   7. Chandra Khantwal
   8. Pankaj K Singh
   9. Joshua N Farahzad
   10. Jorge Domínguez-Andrés
   11. Russell E Vance
   12. Nathaniel W Snyder
   13. Valerie M Weaver

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study looks into the effect of exogenous CoA on the response of TLR4-activated macrophages. Specifically, CoA enhances the LPS response by examining metabolomics, 13C tracing, and assessments of transcription and acetylation. Together, these provide a compelling series of findings that show exogenous CoA is taken up by macrophages, and this facilitates histone acetylation and transcription associated with activation and antimicrobial activity.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Cell surface localisation of GPI-anchored receptors in Trypanosoma brucei

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Sourav Banerjee
   2. Nicola Minshall
   3. Alex Cook
   4. Olivia Macleod
   5. Helena Webb
   6. Matthew Higgins
   7. Mark Carrington

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable manuscript investigates the localisation of nutrient receptors in bloodstream stage trypanosomes, with implications for both nutrient uptake and immune evasion. Results after direct fixation of the cells in culture medium provide convincing evidence that the amounts of receptors on the surface of the cell, as opposed to the flagellar pocket, have previously been severely underestimated. Some results were essentially confirmatory, and there are questions regarding the quantitation of ligand binding by transferring receptors.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Midbrain somatostatin-expressing cells control pain-suppression during defensive states

   This article has 15 authors:

   1. Nanci Winke
   2. Frank Aby
   3. Daniel Jercog
   4. Thomas Bienvenu
   5. Coline Riffault
   6. Rabia Bouali-Benazzouz
   7. Juliette Viellard
   8. Delphine Girard
   9. Zoé Grivet
   10. Marc Landry
   11. Laia Castell
   12. Emmanuel Valjent
   13. Stephane Valerio
   14. Pascal Fossat
   15. Cyril Herry

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The study is a timely and important contribution to our knowledge of the circuit mechanisms of fear analgesia. The novel cue-induced analgesia paradigm allowed a compelling identification of a brainstem circuit element, i.e., somatostatin-expressing neurons within the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey that project to the rostroventral medulla, in mediating fear analgesia. The vlPAG is a known region of pain modulation, and this study adds key insight to the circuit involved in fear-associated analgesia. This work will be of interest to systems and behavioral neuroscientists, especially those interested in emotional behavior, pain, and/or brainstem function.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. RBMX2 links Mycobacterium bovis infection to epithelial–mesenchymal transition and lung cancer progression

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Chao Wang
   2. Yongchong Peng
   3. Hongxin Yang
   4. Yanzhu Jiang
   5. Abdul Karim Khalid
   6. Kailun Zhang
   7. Shengsong Xie
   8. Luiz Bermudez
   9. Yong Yang
   10. Lei Zhang
   11. Huanchun Chen
   12. Aizhen Guo
   13. Yingyu Chen

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The identification of RBMX2 as a novel regulator linking mycobacterial infection to Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and cancer progression are fundamental findings that advance our understanding of a major research question about the link between infectious and non-infectious diseases, microbiology and oncology. It does so by introducing RBMX2 as a novel host factor, a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for both TB and lung cancer. The evidence provided is convincing because it is appropriate and the validated multi-omics methodologies used are in line with the current state of the art. This study will be of interest to scientists working in the fields of drug discovery, microbiology and oncology.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Addressing cultural and knowledge barriers to enable preclinical sex inclusive research

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Brianna N Gaskill
   2. Benjamin Phillips
   3. Jonathan Ho
   4. Holly Rafferty
   5. Oladele Olajide Onada
   6. Andrew Rooney
   7. Amrita Ahluwalia
   8. Natasha A Karp

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The authors quantified intentions and knowledge gaps in scientists' use of sex as a biological variable in their work, and used a workshop intervention to show that while willingness was high, pressure points centered on statistical knowledge and perceived additional monetary costs to research. These important findings demonstrate the difficulty in changing understanding: while interventions can improve knowledge and decrease perceived barriers, the impact was small. The evidence for the findings is solid.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Progressive remote memory decline coincides with parvalbumin interneuron hyperexcitability and enhanced inhibition of cortical engram cells in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Julia J van Adrichem
   2. Rolinka J van der Loo
   3. Romina Ambrosini Defendi
   4. August B Smit
   5. Michel C van den Oever
   6. Ronald E van Kesteren

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of remote memory impairment in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. The evidence is compelling, with careful use of viral-TRAP labeling and patch-clamp electrophysiology to demonstrate altered inhibitory microcircuit function, though the mechanistic link to memory deficits remains correlative. Overall, the work advances understanding of early circuit-level changes in AD, while highlighting open questions regarding causality and broader network contributions.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. A high-resolution, easy-to-build light-sheet microscope for subcellular imaging

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. John Haug
   2. Seweryn Gałecki
   3. Hsin-Yu Lin
   4. Xiaoding Wang
   5. Kevin M Dean

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study presents Altair-LSFM, a well-documented implementation of a light-sheet fluorescence microscope (LSFM) designed for accessibility and reduced cost. The approach provides compelling evidence of its strengths, including the use of custom-machined baseplates, detailed assembly instructions, and demonstrated live-cell imaging capabilities. This manuscript will be of interest to microscopists and potentially biologists seeking accessible LSFM tools.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Cryo-EM structure revealed a novel F-actin binding motif in a Legionella pneumophila lysine fatty acyltransferase

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Wenjie W Zeng
   2. Garrison Komaniecki
   3. Jiaze Liu
   4. Hening Lin
   5. Yuxin Mao

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study by Zeng et al characterizes a novel Legionella pneumophila effector, Llfat1 (Lpg1387), which binds actin through a newly identified actin-binding domain. Data is convincing; structural analysis of the Llfat1 ABD-F-actin complex enabled the development of this domain as a probe for F-actin. Additionally, the authors show that Llfat1 functions as a lysine fatty acyltransferase targeting small GTPases, highlighting its importance in both bacterial pathogenesis and cytoskeletal biology.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. EPB41L4A-AS1 long noncoding RNA acts in both cis- and trans-acting transcriptional regulation and controls nucleolar biology

    This article has 4 authors:

    1. Alan Monziani
    2. Juan Pablo Unfried
    3. Todor Cvetanovic
    4. Igor Ulitsky

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This paper provides important findings towards understanding the role of the lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 in a human cell line. The data is generally convincing, supported by extensive and clever integrative analysis. The work provides insights into how this lncRNA regulates gene expression via complex mechanisms; however the biological relevance awaits validation in other models.

    Reviewed by eLife