Evaluated articles

eLife assessment

This fundamental study provides insights into how pathogens respond, on a systemic level including several gene targets and clusters, to selected antimicrobial molecules. Compelling evidence is provided, through multi-omics and functional approaches, that very similar molecules originally designed to target the same bacterial protein act differently within the context of the whole set of cellular transcripts, expressed proteins, and pre-lethal metabolic changes. Given the rapid accumulation of omics data and the much slower capacity of extracting biologically relevant insights from big data, this work exemplifies how the development of sensitive data analysis is still a major necessity in modern research.

eLife Assessment

In this work, the authors use a Drosophila melanogaster adult ventral nerve cord injury model extending and confirming previous observations. This important study reveals key aspects of adult neural plasticity. Taking advantage of several genetic reporter and fate tracing tools, the authors provide solid evidence for different forms of glial plasticity, that are increased upon injury. The significance of the generated cell types under homeostatic conditions and in response to injury remains to be further explored and open up new avenues of research.

eLife assessment

This important work provides insights into the neural mechanisms regulating specific parental behaviors. By identifying a key role for oxytocin synthesizing cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and their projections to the medial prefrontal cortex in promoting pup care and inhibiting infanticide, this study advances our understanding of the neurobiological basis of these contrasting behaviors in male and female mandarin voles. The evidence supporting the authors' conclusions is solid, and this work should be of interest to researchers studying neuropeptide control of social behaviors in the brain.

eLife assessment

This useful study reports the behavioural and physiological effects of the longitudinal activation of neurons associated with negative experiences. The main claims of the paper are supported by solid experimental evidence, although the specificity of the long-term manipulation could have benefitted from additional validation. This study will be of interest to neuroscientists working on memory.

eLife assessment

This method paper proposes a valuable Oscillation Component Analysis (OCA) approach, in analogy to Independent Component Analysis (ICA), in which source separation is achieved through biophysically inspired generative modeling of neural oscillations. The empirical evidence justifying the approach's advantage is solid. This work will be of interest to researchers in the fields of cognitive neuroscience, neural oscillation, and MEG/EEG.

eLife assessment

This important study provides previously unappreciated insights into the functions of protist eIF4E 5'mRNA cap-binding protein family members, thereby contributing to a better understanding of translation regulation in these organisms. The authors provide solid evidence to support the major conclusions of the article. However, the study may further benefit from establishing whether all of the eIF4E family members are indeed involved in translation and more direct evidence for the selectivity of their binding.

eLife Assessment

This study uses ex vivo live imaging of uteri post-mating to test the role of the sperm hook in the house mouse sperm in sperm movement that would be interesting to evolutionary biologists. The significance of the work is useful as live imaging can reveal information not seen in fixed images. The strength of evidence is incomplete as they cannot directly test the role of the sperm hook in facilitating movement along the uterine wall.

eLife assessment

This study provides important insight into the mechanisms of proton-coupled oligopeptide transporters. It uses enhanced-sampling molecular dynamics (MD), backed by cell-based assays, revealing the importance of protonation of selected residues for PepT2 function. The simulation approaches are convincing, using long MD simulations, constant-pH MD and free energy calculations. Overall, the work has led to findings that will appeal to structural biologists, biochemists, and biophysicists studying membrane transporters.

eLife assessment

This important study reports the formation of a new organelle, called giant unilocular vacuole (GUVac), in mammary epithelial cells through a macropinocytosis-like process. The evidence supporting conclusions is convincing, using state-of-the-art cell biology techniques. This work will be of interest to cell biologists and contribute to the understanding of cell survival mechanisms against anoikis.

eLife Assessment

The manuscript presents an important model for the field of endosome maturation, providing perspective on the role of the deubiquitinating enzyme UPS-50/USP8 in the process. The evidence presented in the paper is clear, incorporating well-designed experiments that suggest the dual actions of UPS-50 and USP8 in the conversion of early endosomes into late endosomes. Overall, the work is convincing and centers on an intriguing subject.

eLife assessment

This landmark work by Lewis and Hegde represents the most significant breakthrough in membrane and secretory biogenesis in recent years. Their work reveals with outstanding clarity how nascent transmembrane segments can pass through the gate of Sec61 into the ER membrane through the coordinated motions of a conformationally and compositionally dynamic machine. Among many other insights, the authors discovered how a new factor, RAMP4, contributes to the formation and function of the lateral gate for certain substrates. The technical quality of the work is exceptional, setting the bar appropriately high.

eLife assessment

In this valuable study, Kumar et al., provide evidence suggesting that the p130Cas drives the formation of condensates that sprout from focal adhesions to cytoplasm and suppress translation. Pending further substantiation, this study was found to be likely to provide previously unappreciated insights into the mechanisms linking focal adhesions to the regulation of protein synthesis and was thus considered to be of broad general interest. However, the evidence supporting the proposed model was incomplete; additional evidence is warranted to substantiate the relationship between p130Cas condensates and mRNA translation and establish corresponding functional consequences.

eLife assessment

This study provides a valuable strategy for treating mouse cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (mCSCC) with serum derived from mCSCC-exposed mice. The exploration of serum-derived antibodies as a potential therapy for curing cancer is particularly promising but the study provides incomplete evidence for specific effects of mCSCC-binding serum antibodies. This study will be of interest to scientists seeking a novel immunotherapeutic strategy in cancer therapy.

eLife assessment

This study presents valuable findings on an unresolved question of cerebellar physiology: Do synapses between Purkinje cells and granule cells, made by the ascending part of the granule cells' axon, have different properties than those made by parallel fibers? The authors conducted patch-clamp recordings on rat cerebellar slices and found a new type of plasticity in the synapses of the ascending part of granule cell axons. The experiments are well-designed with appropriate controls, and the study provides solid evidence for the new form of cerebellar synaptic plasticity.

eLife Assessment

This important study demonstrated that ablation of astrocytes in the lumbar spinal cord not only reduced neuropathic pain but also caused microglia activation. The findings presented add considerable value to the current understanding of the role of astrocyte elimination in neuropathic pain, offering convincing evidence that supports existing hypotheses and insights into the interactions between astrocytes and microglial cells, likely through IFN-mediated mechanisms

eLife assessment

This important study reports the use of a surveillance approach in identifying emerging diseases, monitoring disease trends, and informing evidence-based interventions in the control and prevention of livestock abortions, as it relates to their public health implications. The data support the convincing finding that abortion incidence is higher during the dry season, and occurs more in cross-bred and exotic livestock breeds. Aetiological and epidemiological data can be generated through established protocols for sample collection and laboratory diagnosis. These findings are of potential interest to the fields of veterinary medicine, public health, and epidemiology.

eLife Assessment

This valuable study presents data suggesting the critical roles of two ancient proteins, XAP5 and XAP5L, in regulating the transcriptional program of ciliogenesis during mouse spermatogenesis. The supporting data are solid, and this work will be of interest to biomedical researchers studying ciliogenesis and reproduction.

eLife assessment

This is a potentially valuable contribution, reporting a deletion analysis of the MSL1 gene to assess how different parts of the protein product interact with the MSL2 protein and roX RNA to affect the association of the MSL complex with the male X chromosome of Drosophila. However, the framework that the MSL complex mediates dosage compensation is outdated and has flaws, and the evidence is currently considered inadequate to support the claims. Because there are many ways to alter viability, sex-specific viability is insufficient to make claims regarding dosage compensation.

eLife assessment

This study presents a valuable finding that the blood-brain barrier functionality changes with age and differs between males and females. The analysis is solid, comprising a large and racially diverse dataset, and utilizes a contrast-agent-free MRI method. Since limited work has been done in the MRI field on the blood-brain barrier using this method, this study is of great interest to neuroimaging researchers and clinicians.

eLife Assessment

This study constitutes a fundamental advance for the uveal melanoma research field that might be exploited to target this deadly cancer and more generally for targeting transcriptional dependency in cancers. This work substantially advances our understanding of pharmacological inhibition of SWI/SNF as a therapeutic approach for cancer. The study is well written and provides compelling evidence, including comprehensive datasets, compound screens, gene expression analysis, epigenetics, as well as animal studies.