eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Slow fluctuations in ongoing brain activity decrease in amplitude with ageing yet their impact on task-related evoked responses is dissociable from behavior

   This article has 2 authors:

   1. Maria Ribeiro
   2. Miguel Castelo-Branco

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This manuscript is of interest to cognitive neuroscientists working in the field of (fMRI or EEG) resting-state fluctuations. The role of these fluctuations is compellingly demonstrated in solving an existing mystery about brain variability and ageing; namely, that older adults exhibit increased behavioural variability but reduced neural variability. The work should be of interest to cognitive neuroscientists using fMRI and EEG to study neural noise and inter-individual and inter-group differences, particularly in the realm of aging and age-related disorders.

     (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

2. Structural basis of dynamic P5CS filaments

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Jiale Zhong
   2. Chen-Jun Guo
   3. Xian Zhou
   4. Chia-Chun Chang
   5. Boqi Yin
   6. Tianyi Zhang
   7. Huan-Huan Hu
   8. Guang-Ming Lu
   9. Ji-Long Liu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This study describes the structures of filamentous forms of the enzyme P5CS from Drosophila, an enzyme important in the synthetic pathway for proline and ornithine. Three CryoEM experiments by the authors have resulted in structures of several apo and substrate-bound conformational states of the enzyme. The structures suggest that filamentation by P5CS may serve the purpose to facilitate the two-step enzymatic reaction by limiting the free diffusion of the reaction intermediate, the product of the first catalytic step and the substrate of the second, thereby increasing the reaction rate of the rate-limiting step (the second step) of the enzymatic reaction.

     (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

3. Drosophila mechanical nociceptors preferentially sense localized poking

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Zhen Liu
   2. Meng-Hua Wu
   3. Qi-Xuan Wang
   4. Shao-Zhen Lin
   5. Xi-Qiao Feng
   6. Bo Li
   7. Xin Liang

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     Liu et al present fascinating findings that significantly extend the understanding of molecular and cellular pathways of mechanical nociception in Drosophila larvae. This work is of very high interest to neuroscientists studying sensory function and its molecular underpinnings with implications for our understanding of acute sensation of painful stimuli. The approach and data are of very high quality and provide unprecedented insight into mechanosensory functions in an intact tissue environment.

     (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

4. Oversized cells activate global proteasome-mediated protein degradation to maintain cell size homeostasis

   This article has 9 authors:

   1. Shixuan Liu
   2. Ceryl Tan
   3. Chloe Melo-Gavin
   4. Miriam B Ginzberg
   5. Ron Blutrich
   6. Nish Patel
   7. Michael Rape
   8. Kevin G Mark
   9. Ran Kafri

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     Kafri and colleagues assess the contribution of protein degradation to the cell size-dependent accumulation of total protein. As cells get too big, the efficiency of cell growth decreases, which the authors propose is due to increased protein degradation in larger cells. This is an interesting and novel mechanism, and its discovery is potentially useful for future research on understanding and controlling cell growth, though the data could be further strengthened and clarified to support the conclusions.

     (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

5. Retinoic acid signaling mediates peripheral cone photoreceptor survival in a mouse model of retina degeneration

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Ryoji Amamoto
   2. Grace K Wallick
   3. Constance L Cepko

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous condition that leads to photoreceptor cell death and thus to different degree of blindness. The degeneration is often caused by mutations in genes expressed in rods but cones end up degenerating as well, although cones positioned in the periphery of the mouse retina appears to be most resistant. This study investigates the possible reasons of this resilience. Using a number of genetic approaches, the authors show that retinoic acid signaling derived from Muller glial cells located in the periphery of the mouse retina is implicated in local survival of cone photoreceptors in mouse models of RP. They further show that RA signaling is also present in the human peripheral retina and suggests that this may be relevant for future therapeutic strategies. The experimental design is excellent involving both loss- and gain-of-function genetic tools to prove the hypothesis that retinoic acid signaling is crucial for cone photoreceptor survival during Retinitis Pigmentosa in mice. Clinical significance remains to be tested, but otherwise the conclusions drawn from the data are well justified.

     (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

6. A neural progenitor mitotic wave is required for asynchronous axon outgrowth and morphology

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Jérôme Lacoste
   2. Hédi Soula
   3. Angélique Burg
   4. Agnès Audibert
   5. Pénélope Darnat
   6. Michel Gho
   7. Sophie Louvet-Vallée

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This study investigates development of the mechanosensory organ on Drosophila notum using various genetic techniques. They combine live imaging, mathematical modelling, genetics and behavioural analysis to show that in the peripheral nervous system of Drosophila, entry of progenitor cells into mitosis is spatially and temporally controlled. This, the authors suggest ensures proper targeting of sensory neurons within the ventral nerve cord. The study will be of broad interest to those who work on developmental processes, and particularly to those interested in sense organ development.

     (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 name with the authors.)

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Decoding the activated stem cell phenotype of the neonatally maturing pituitary

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Emma Laporte
   2. Florian Hermans
   3. Silke De Vriendt
   4. Annelies Vennekens
   5. Diether Lambrechts
   6. Charlotte Nys
   7. Benoit Cox
   8. Hugo Vankelecom

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This is a well conducted study on development of neonatal mouse pituitary using multiple ScRNA Seq and organoid culture models. Some weaknesses include accuracy of the language used, lack of data demonstrating the role of Wnt signaling, and lack of follicle-stellate markers and lack of characterization of pituitary defects in IL6 null mice.

     (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 single exposure to altered auditory feedback causes observable sensorimotor adaptation in speech

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Lana Hantzsch
   2. Benjamin Parrell
   3. Caroline A Niziolek

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     The paper demonstrates the adaptation of speech after a single trial of perturbing the fundamental frequency of an utterance. The findings confirm existing theories of speech adaptation, but constitute an important missing piece of evidence in the current literature.

     (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. Distinctive mechanisms of epilepsy-causing mutants discovered by measuring S4 movement in KCNQ2 channels

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Michaela A Edmond
   2. Andy Hinojo-Perez
   3. Xiaoan Wu
   4. Marta E Perez Rodriguez
   5. Rene Barro-Soria

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     Evaluation Summary:

     This study investigates the mechanism of voltage-dependent activation of the KCNQ class of potassium channels that regulate neuronal firing, and are mutated in monogenic forms of epilepsy. This study makes an important technical step forward by reporting measurements of voltage-dependent conformational changes of KCNQ2/Kv7.2 channels, measurements which are known to be extremely difficult for this biologically important channel. Understanding these conformational changes allows the authors to investigate models of how voltage-dependent changes are coupled to opening of the channel pore, and also identify diverse mechanisms by which disease-linked mutations of KCNQ2/Kv7.2 may alter channel function.

     (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. Genetic, metabolic, and molecular insights into the diverse outcomes of diet-induced obesity in mice

    This article has 9 authors:

    1. Alexis Maximilien Bachmann
    2. Jean-David Morel
    3. Gaby El Alam
    4. Sandra Rodríguez-López
    5. Tanes Imamura de lima
    6. Ludger J.E. Goeminne
    7. Giorgia Benegiamo
    8. Maroun Bou Sleiman
    9. Johan Auwerx

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      Evaluation Summary:

      In the present study, Bachmann and Morel et al., report a comprehensive survey of metabolic phenotypes and liver outcomes (gene expression, complex activities) in a unique subset of genetically diverse mouse strains. The authors focus on sex- and diet-dependent effects where notable differences are observed. These data will be a useful reference source for those interested in diet effects on metabolic phenotypes across various inbred mouse strains.

      (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