eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Sequence adaptations satisfy the constraints of mitochondrial membrane protein evolution

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Tarun Yadav
   2. Jonathan H Borowsky
   3. Alvaro Jesus Narbona-Perez
   4. Bhavya Soni
   5. Corey N Cunningham
   6. James Carrington
   7. Michael Grabe
   8. Jared Rutter

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study provides theoretical and experimental evidence that aliphatic-to-threonine substitutions in transmembrane domains improve the translocation properties of mitochondrial proteins from the cytosol to mitochondria. The authors provide convincing evidence that substitutions within hydrophobic transmembrane regions of mitochondrial proteins may have contributed to their evolutionary adaptation following the transfer of their genes from the mitochondria to the nucleus. This study will be of interest to biologists and biochemists working on mitochondrial protein import and mitochondrial evolution.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Spatiotemporal Dissociation of Human Amygdala Response to Negative Affect

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Ke Bo
   2. Martin A Lindquist
   3. Peter J Gianaros
   4. Tor D Wager

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides valuable new insights into the functional differentiation of human amygdala subnuclei during the observation of negative images and emotional reappraisal. The evidence is convincing, particularly regarding differences in the time course of evoked responses and their partial correspondence with broad anatomical subdivisions. The work will be of interest to researchers studying the amygdala, emotional processing, and emotion regulation.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Deep anatomical and ultrastructural classification of neurons in the zebrafish olfactory bulb

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Nila R Mönig
   2. Michał Januszewski
   3. Stephan Gerhard
   4. Bo Hu
   5. Nesibe Z Temiz
   6. Ruth E Montaño Crespo
   7. Tafheem Masudi
   8. Adrian A Wanner
   9. Christel Genoud
   10. Rainer W Friedrich

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study carefully assesses the anatomical organization of the adult zebrafish olfactory bulb using a densely reconstructed electron microscopy dataset. The data were generated using a previously acquired state-of-the-art serial block-face scanning electron microscopy dataset, followed by manual classification of cells into distinct anatomical groups. The analysis is a convincing application of careful expert neuroanatomical understanding that reveals key details of the cell class and connectivity in the olfactory bulb, with helpful detailed descriptions of why each cell class was distinguished.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. RelB proximity proteomics and CRISPR screening define chromatin regulators of noncanonical NF-κB control of HIV latency and reactivation

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. Cameron R Bussey-Sutton
   2. Carley N Gray
   3. Benjamin J Wu
   4. Jackson J Peterson
   5. Samuel D Burgos
   6. C Allie Mills
   7. Laura E Herring
   8. Edward P Browne
   9. Anne-Marie W Turner
   10. David M Margolis
   11. Michael Emerman
   12. Brian D Strahl

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     By integrating RelB proximity labeling with targeted CRISPR screening, the authors identify several potential regulators of HIV latency and provide evidence implicating RelB, KAT7, and p300 in AZD5582-mediated HIV reactivation. While the study is important, the current work is incomplete, as it needs to establish physiological relevance. The findings require validation in primary latency models, and the unusually high basal RelB expression in the experimental system raises concerns about whether the observed effects accurately reflect endogenous mechanisms regulating HIV latency.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Evidence for flexible regulation of movement and decision vigor in a reward-oriented task

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Adrien Conessa
   2. Arnaud Boutin
   3. Bastien Berret

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study introduces an innovative task and framework for examining whether movement vigor and reward-seeking behavior are governed by common or separate processes. The behavioral findings provide solid evidence that these behaviors can be differentially influenced by effort and delay, but support for the proposed model and its mechanistic claims remains incomplete, requiring more rigorous validation and analyses to address potential confounds. The work will be of interest to researchers studying motor control, decision-making, and effort-based behavior.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Two Interacting Neural Processes Support Speech Planning during Naturalistic Conversation

   This article has 3 authors:

   1. Hiroyoshi Yamasaki
   2. Philippe Blache
   3. Daniele Schön

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This useful study shows that neural activity before a conversational response contains information about the duration and timing of the subsequent turn. The evidence that this information originates from speech-production planning is incomplete. Because the analyzed EEG is recorded during processing of the partner's speech, and because that speech causally determines the subsequent response, production planning and comprehension/context are confounded in the current analyses. It would strengthen the production interpretation considerably if the authors could show that the relationship with forthcoming duration survives richer controls for the preceding turn, or ideally after accounting for EEG variance driven by the incoming speech.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Small circuit principles for learning in large worlds

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Dhruva V Raman
   2. Christopher R Dunne
   3. Katie Davyson
   4. Timothy O’Leary

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study introduces Hetlearn, a novel learning algorithm that demonstrates that an ensemble of simple sub-learners with varying learning rates can effectively manage inference in complex, unstable environments. While the theoretical framework and its proposed application to parallel memory traces in the insect mushroom body are intriguing, the evidence supporting the core claims is currently incomplete. To fully validate the authors' conclusions, further exploration is needed to rigorously define the boundaries of the model's hyperparameter space, along with a deeper justification and clarification of its biological plausibility.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. On the Polymorph-Selection Determinants of α-Synuclein Amyloid Fibrils Studied at Atomic Resolution

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Lukas Frey
   2. David Rhyner
   3. Witek Kwiatkowski
   4. Dhiman Ghosh
   5. Kristina Biedermann
   6. Roland Riek
   7. Jason Greenwald

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study identifies underappreciated experimental factors that influence α-synuclein amyloid polymorphism, with practical implications for the reproducibility of in vitro fibril preparations. Extensive cryo-EM analyses provide convincing evidence that protein purity, monomer preparation, and agitation conditions influence polymorph selection, including substantial effects from small amounts of an N-terminally truncated variant. The study provides a substantial resource for researchers studying amyloid assembly and synucleinopathies, although the proposed nucleation mechanisms need stronger kinetic support and reliable protocols for producing specific polymorphs require further development.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Golgi-endosomal CATCHR complexes function as organizing hubs for vesicle tethering and fusion

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Walter S. Aragon-Ramirez
   2. Reece C Forrest
   3. Irina Pokrovskaya
   4. Amrita Khakurel
   5. Farhana Taher Sumya
   6. Vladimir Lupashin

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study provides a valuable and comprehensive in vivo map of proteins in proximity to three vesicle-tethering complexes. The evidence supporting the overall proximity mapping is convincing. However, some aspects of the functional characterization of selected candidates remain incomplete.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. A pleiotropic EPAS1 enhancer mediating Tibetan adaptation to hypoxia is active in adipocytes

    This article has 14 authors:

    1. Alexis G Thornburg
    2. Soo-Young Park
    3. Li Zhang
    4. Ivy Aneas
    5. Débora R Sobreira
    6. Isabella M Salamone
    7. Noboru J Sakabe
    8. Kathryn M Farris
    9. Zachary T Weber
    10. Olivia A Gray
    11. Jennifer Yoo
    12. Hae Kyung Im
    13. Anna Di Rienzo
    14. Marcelo A Nóbrega

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      The identification of a pleiotropic EPAS1 enhancer that influences adipocyte responses to hypoxia and thermogenic stimulation provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of high-altitude adaptation in Tibetans. The data are solid, although additional experiments would strengthen the link between ENH5 activity and the mechanisms underlying high-altitude adaptation.

    Reviewed by eLife