Evaluated articles

Spontaneous neural synchrony links intrinsic spinal sensory and motor networks during unconsciousness

1. Jacob Graves McPherson
2. Maria F Bandres

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This manuscript reports a study that sought evidence of patterned inter-areal activity in the spinal cord of anesthetized rats. This could be a very significant finding, with potentially important scientific and therapeutic implications. However, the Methods lacks some necessary details, and the Results raise substantial issues that need to be resolved. Until these gaps and uncertainties are resolved, it is not possible to evaluate the results and their implications with confidence. Substantial revisions are essential.

  (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

Combination of inflammatory and vascular markers in the febrile phase of dengue is associated with more severe outcomes

1. Nguyen Lam Vuong
2. Phung Khanh Lam
3. Damien Keng Yen Ming
4. Huynh Thi Le Duyen
5. Nguyet Minh Nguyen
6. Dong Thi Hoai Tam
7. Kien Duong Thi Hue
8. Nguyen VV Chau
9. Ngoun Chanpheaktra
10. Lucy Chai See Lum
11. Ernesto Pleités
12. Cameron P Simmons
13. Kerstin D Rosenberger
14. Thomas Jaenisch
15. David Bell
16. Nathalie Acestor
17. Christine Halleux
18. Piero L Olliaro
19. Bridget A Wills
20. Ronald B Geskus
21. Sophie Yacoub

Reviewed by eLife

Protective mitochondrial fission induced by stress-responsive protein GJA1-20k

1. Daisuke Shimura
2. Esther Nuebel
3. Rachel Baum
4. Steven E Valdez
5. Shaohua Xiao
6. Junco S Warren
7. Joseph A Palatinus
8. TingTing Hong
9. Jared Rutter
10. Robin M Shaw

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This study identifies a cardioprotective factor, GJA1-20k (a truncated form of Cx43), which appears to confer protection against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury via promotion of mitochondrial fission. This finding is particularly interesting given that hyperfission is generally thought of as an index of toxicity in I/R or hypoxic injury. I/R lesion size in a GJA1 heterozygous mutant mouse is strikingly exacerbated compared to control animals, providing strong in vivo evidence supporting a role for this factor in protection from I/R. However, while the findings are interesting and novel, key results require additional experimental support, including to address the lack of key control data, and a significant revision will be necessary to address these issues.

  (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

Computational modeling of cambium activity provides a regulatory framework for simulating radial plant growth

1. Ivan Lebovka
2. Bruno Hay Mele
3. Xiaomin Liu
4. Alexandra Zakieva
5. Theresa Schlamp
6. Nial Rau Gursanscky
7. Roeland MH Merks
8. Ruth Großeholz
9. Thomas Greb

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  The paper presents a sequence of models, simulating with increasing accuracy the production of phloem and xylem in a cross-section of a generalized circularly symmetric plant organ. The results may serve as a stepping stone for the construction of predictive models.

  (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

A state space modeling approach to real-time phase estimation

1. Anirudh Wodeyar
2. Mark Schatza
3. Alik S Widge
4. Uri T Eden
5. Mark A Kramer

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  Rhythmic activities play an important role in cognition and disease, and there is an increasing interest in real-time phase tracking for closed-loop applications. In this manuscript, a novel approach based on state-space modeling to estimate the phase of EEG and LFP signals in real-time is presented. Open code for distribution is readily available. The proposed model is novel, timely and makes a clear contribution to the methods base in the field.

  (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

Fine-tuning of β-catenin in mouse thymic epithelial cells is required for postnatal T-cell development

1. Sayumi Fujimori
2. Izumi Ohigashi
3. Hayato Abe
4. Yosuke Matsushita
5. Toyomasa Katagiri
6. Makoto M Taketo
7. Yousuke Takahama
8. Shinji Takada

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This paper is of interest to scientists within the field of thymus development and function. Analysis of the data is overall rigorous and conclusions are justified. The work presented builds upon previous studies that have shown that alterations of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in thymic epithelial cells impact the normal development and or maintenance of thymic epithelial microenvironment critical for the proper development and selection of functional self-tolerant T cell repertoire. The surprise that a thymus epithelial cell specific loss of function of beta-catenin only showed a rather minor phenotype is interesting, but it would be good to also address whether TEC recovery after a challenge, or in aging, is also affected in a minor manner or perhaps more dramatically than the steady-state situation. The author's claims are well supported by the data presented and will be of great interest to scientists and clinicians interested in understanding the signaling pathways important in thymic maintenance, as well as the development of strategies to counteract thymic involution in the aging population and cancer patients.

  (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 names with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Coding of chromatic spatial contrast by macaque V1 neurons

1. Abhishek De
2. Gregory D Horwitz

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This paper is of broad interest to psychologists, neuroscientists, and engineers who seek to understand how color information is represented in visual cortex. The experiments provide sharply focussed tests of how chromatic information is compared across different spatial locations by individual neurons in visual cortex. The experiments are sound and the results speak to fundamental principles of encoding.

  (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 names with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Modeling the impact of racial and ethnic disparities on COVID-19 epidemic dynamics

1. Kevin C Ma
2. Tigist F Menkir
3. Stephen Kissler
4. Yonatan H Grad
5. Marc Lipsitch

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This excellent paper by Ma and colleagues assesses the role of assortative mixing in regards to racial and ethnic disparities to estimate herd immunity thresholds (HIT) for SARS-CoV-2. The paper is conceptual in nature and builds on similar models which have been particularly useful to understand the dynamics of sexually transmitted diseases. The model is explained well and the paper is clearly written. The conclusions are justified by the analysis. One limitation is that the model is trained against a single cross-sectional seroprevalence estimate (one in NYC & one in Long Island) which allows for multiple models (ranging from homogeneous mixing to proportionate mixing) to recapitulate the data and in turn does not allow general estimates of HIT for these regions. It is also unclear if a more realistic epidemic simulation that included repeated waves of infection &/or vaccine roll out would change the conclusions regarding HIT according to race and ethnicity.

  (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, Reviewer #2 and Reviewer #3 agreed to share their names with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife, ScreenIT

Permeant fluorescent probes visualize the activation of SARM1 and uncover an anti-neurodegenerative drug candidate

1. Wan Hua Li
2. Ke Huang
3. Yang Cai
4. Qian Wen Wang
5. Wen Jie Zhu
6. Yun Nan Hou
7. Sujing Wang
8. Sheng Cao
9. Zhi Ying Zhao
10. Xu Jie Xie
11. Yang Du
12. Chi-Sing Lee
13. Hon Cheung Lee
14. Hongmin Zhang
15. Yong Juan Zhao

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  SARM1, an enzyme that can convert NAD+ to ADP-ribose or cyclic ADP-ribose, is implicated in axon degeneration. This manuscript describes the development of small molecule probes that can detect the activity of SARM1 in live cells. In the course of the work, a small molecule derived from an hypertension drug was discovered as an effective SARM1 inhibitor. Although the activity probes are novel, the mechanism of SARM1 inactivation by dHNN has not been established. The probe and the inhibitor described in the manuscript could lead to future therapeutic development targeting SARM1 to treat axon degeneration.

  (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

The molecular basis of coupling between poly(A)-tail length and translational efficiency

1. Kehui Xiang
2. David P Bartel

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This manuscript addresses a long-standing question, namely how does the poly(A) tail influence translational efficiency? It will therefore be of broad interest to readers from many areas of molecular biology including those interested in translation, mRNA stability, development and gene expression in general. The authors convincingly set out three criteria that must be met for coupling of poly(A) tail length with translation.

  (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

Design principles of the ESCRT-III Vps24-Vps2 module

1. Sudeep Banjade
2. Yousuf H Shah
3. Shaogeng Tang
4. Scott D Emr

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  Different ESCRT-III subunits share sequence similarity but have been characterized in distinct conformations and perform distinct roles in the polymerization process that is central to ESCRT membrane fission pathways. Here it is shown that mutations in one ESCRT-III subunit can compensate for loss of a different subunit by encoding the specialized roles of both subunits within one polypeptide. These findings will be of interest to investigators studying ESCRT pathway mechanisms and those more generally interested in the adaptability of protein sequences and functions.

  (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

Increased burden of familial-associated early-onset cancer risk among minority Americans compared to non-Latino Whites

1. Qianxi Feng
2. Eric Nickels
3. Ivo S Muskens
4. Adam J de Smith
5. W James Gauderman
6. Amy C Yee
7. Charite Ricker
8. Thomas Mack
9. Andrew D Leavitt
10. Lucy A Godley
11. Joseph L Wiemels

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This is a large population based study examining the familial risks of cancer in a California population limiting the analysis to cancers occurring under the age of 30. The work has found that risk of cancer is increased if a person has a first degree relative with cancer. Increased familial risk of cancer to first (and second) degree relatives is long established, but this is a large source of data and it is nonetheless valuable to have this published. They have been able to look specifically at Latino risks as this is a common ethnic group in California.

  (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

Solubility product constant directs the formation of biomolecular condensates

1. Aniruddha Chattaraj
2. Michael L. Blinov
3. Leslie M. Loew

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  Recent experiments have raised questions regarding concentration buffering provided by the formation of multicomponent biomolecular condensates via phase separation driven by heterotypic interactions. In this work, Chattaraja et al., demonstrate that the concept of a solubility product, used to describe the solubility limits of ionic solutions, sets an upper limit on concentration thresholds, even in systems where the driving forces for phase separation are primarily heterotypic in nature. Their work suggests that the concept of a solubility product rescues the concept of buffering via phase separation.

  (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

A developmental framework linking neurogenesis and circuit formation in the Drosophila CNS

1. Brandon Mark
2. Sen-Lin Lai
3. Aref Arzan Zarin
4. Laurina Manning
5. Ashok Litwin-Kumar
6. Albert Cardona
7. James W. Truman
8. Chris Q. Doe

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This paper sought to assess the relationship between developmental lineage and connectivity. It relies on detailed EM reconstructions and the knowledge of complete neuroblast lineages, thus correlating wiring with lineage. Through genetic manipulations of Notch function, it also correlates developmental programs with wiring. The conclusion is important and provides a well described cellular and genetic system for linking the developmental program of a cell to its connection specificity. It provides a framework for considering how to study these questions in other regions of the Drosophila brain and can be extended to the study of more complex mammalian systems where a similar neuroblast-lineage strategy generates different neuron types.

  (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 and Reviewer #3 agreed to share their names with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Presynaptic NMDA receptors facilitate short-term plasticity and BDNF release at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses

1. Pablo J Lituma
2. Hyung-Bae Kwon
3. Karina Alviña
4. Rafael Luján
5. Pablo E Castillo

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This paper will be of interest to a larger neuroscience community as this is the first functional demonstration of presynaptic NMDA receptors at mossy fiber terminals in the hippocampus. NMDA receptors are generally known for being critically involved in learning & memory as coincidence detectors in Hebbian plasticity. Some studies, however, find NMDA receptors that function in more unconventional manners. The present paper provides strong evidence for the existence of such unconventional NMDA receptors at a specific subset of hippocampal mossy-fibre boutons. The combined use of electron microscopy, electrophysiological, optogenetic, calcium imaging, and genetic manipulation approaches expertly employed by the authors yields high quality compelling evidence in full support of the study's main conclusions. Overall, the investigation is well designed with a clear hypothesis, appropriate methodological considerations, and logical flow resulting in a well written manuscript that is sure to be of broad scientific interest.

  (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 and Reviewer #3 agreed to share their names with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

High-fidelity, efficient, and reversible labeling of endogenous proteins using CRISPR-based designer exon insertion

1. Haining Zhong
2. Cesar C Ceballos
3. Crystian I Massengill
4. Michael A Muniak
5. Lei Ma
6. Maozhen Qin
7. Stefanie Kaech Petrie
8. Tianyi Mao

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  The reviewers found your description of the new method interesting and potentially useful for the field. They raised concerns about fusion protein's functionality and reagent accessibility among other technical questions.

  (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

Dopamine differentially modulates the size of projection neuron ensembles in the intact and dopamine-depleted striatum

1. Marta Maltese
2. Jeffrey R. March
3. Alexander G. Bashaw
4. Nicolas X. Tritsch

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  The paper is of broad interest to neuroscientists studying Parkinson's disease, dopamine (DA) modulation and striatum. The authors use a layered in vivo calcium imaging approach with cell-type reporters and universal GCaMP expression to simultaneously evaluate striatal projection neurons in the direct and indirect pathways (dSPNs, iSPNs) during basic locomotion. The authors report relationships between dSPN and iSPN ensemble sizes and DA pharmacology and dopamine depletion states. These results advance understanding of DA modulation and Parkinson's 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. Reviewer #3 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Cortical entrainment to hierarchical contextual rhythms recomposes dynamic attending in visual perception

1. Peijun Yuan
2. Ruichen Hu
3. Xue Zhang
4. Ying Wang
5. Yi Jiang

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This study by Wang et al. used a series of carefully designed behavioral experiments to convincingly demonstrate that the attentional blink (AB) could be modulated by higher-order rhythmic regularity. EEG results further support the link between the elicited neural entrainment and the AB modulation effect. They propose that the rhythmic context implements a second-order temporal structure to the first-order regularities posited in dynamic attention theory.

  (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

A signal capture and proofreading mechanism for the KDEL-receptor explains selectivity and dynamic range in ER retrieval

1. Andreas Gerondopoulos
2. Philipp Bräuer
3. Tomoaki Sobajima
4. Zhiyi Wu
5. Joanne L Parker
6. Philip C Biggin
7. Francis A Barr
8. Simon Newstead

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  Binding of cargo to sorting receptors in membrane trafficking is essential to cellular organization. This work is significant because it generates a detailed model of the key residues accounting for specificity and affinity of binding by the KDEL receptor. Interestingly, it is not the affinity per se that accounts for the specificity of cargo binding but rather charge-based exclusion of potentially competing signals.

  (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

Distinct protocerebral neuropils associated with attractive and aversive female-produced odorants in the male moth brain

1. Jonas Hansen Kymre
2. XiaoLan Liu
3. Elena Ian
4. Christoffer Nerland Berge
5. GuiRong Wang
6. Bente Gunnveig Berg
7. XinCheng Zhao
8. Xi Chu

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This study identifies and describes the functional properties of antennal lobe output neurons towards the response to pheromone odors in the moth brain. This paper will be of interest to neuroscientists investigating how sensory information is organized in the brain. Through a combination of technically challenging experiments, the paper identifies the brain regions that differentially process attractive vs aversive olfactory pheromone signals. While not an exhaustive data set, it provides compelling evidence for one model of how the moth brain interprets complex pheromone olfactory odors.

  (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