Evaluated articles

Monocyte-derived macrophage recruitment mediated by TRPV1 is required for eardrum wound healing

1. Yunpei Zhang
2. Pingting Wang
3. Lingling Neng
4. Kushal Sharma
5. Allan Kachelmeier
6. Xiaorui Shi

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study exploring the role of TRPV1 signaling in recruiting macrophages and promoting angiogenesis during tympanic membrane wound healing presents useful findings. However, the strength of evidence supporting the central claims is incomplete, as the mechanistic links between TRPV1 activation and immune cell recruitment remain largely correlative and rely heavily on previously published datasets without sufficient functional validation. The work will be of interest to researchers studying wound healing and sensory-immune interactions, though substantial revisions are needed to support its broader significance.

Reviewed by eLife

Evidence for systematic - yet task- and motor-contingent - rhythmicity of auditory perceptual judgements

1. Cécile Fabio
2. Christoph Kayser

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This high-N, multi-task study offers a comprehensive examination of rhythmicity in behavioral performance during listening. It presents a valuable set of findings that reveal task- and ear-specific effects, challenging the notion of a universal rhythmicity in auditory perception. While the evidence is solid, the study would benefit from a stronger conceptual framework to contextualize and explain the observed patterns. Nonetheless, the work is likely to be of significant interest to behavioral and cognitive scientists focused on perception and neural oscillations.

Reviewed by eLife

Sparse innervation and local heterogeneity in the vibrissal corticostriatal projection

1. Kenza Amroune
2. Lorenzo Fontolan
3. Agnès Baude
4. David Robbe
5. Ingrid Bureau

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This work provides fundamental findings on how the mouse barrel cortex connects to the dorsolateral striatum, uncovering that inputs from discrete whisker cortical columns are convergent and SPN-specific, but topographically organized at the population level. The evidence supporting this claim is compelling, demonstrating that SPNs uniquely integrate sparse input from variable stretches across the barrel cortex. The study would be of interest to basal ganglia and sensory-motor integration researchers.

Reviewed by eLife

Coupled equilibria of dimerization and lipid binding modulate SARS Cov 2 Orf9b interactions and interferon response

1. CJ San Felipe
2. Jyoti Batra
3. Monita Muralidharan
4. Shivali Malpotra
5. Durga Anand
6. Rachel Bauer
7. Kliment A Verba
8. Danielle L Swaney
9. Nevan J Krogan
10. Michael Grabe
11. James S Fraser

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study demonstrates that lipid binding can regulate the dimerization state of the SARS-CoV2 Orf9b protein. The data from biophysical and cellular experiments, along with mathematical modeling, are convincing. However, this study can further benefit from more rigorous quantitative analyses and from resolving the role of dimerization in viral infection and host innate responses. This paper is broadly relevant to those studying coupled equilibria across all aspects of biology.

Reviewed by eLife

Unprecedented Number of Recurrent Mutations Drive the Rapid Evolution of Pesticide Resistance in a Notorious Pest

1. Li-Jun Cao
2. Jin-Cui Chen
3. Joshua A Thia
4. Thomas L Schmidt
5. Richard Ffrench-Constant
6. Lin-Xi Zhang
7. Yu Yang
8. Meng-Chu Yuan
9. Jia-Yue Zhang
10. Xiao-Yang Zhang
11. Qiong Yang
12. Ya-Jun Gong
13. Hu Li
14. Xue-Xin Chen
15. Ary A Hoffmann
16. Shu-Jun Wei

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study provides valuable insights into the evolution of pesticide resistance, demonstrating that resistance can arise rapidly and repeatedly, which complements prior work on parallel evolution across species. The combination of extensive temporal sampling in the field, experimental evolution, and genomics makes for convincing findings. The authors are to be commended for acknowledging the main limitations of their study in the Discussion. Framing the work in a broader context of resistance beyond arthropod pests would further increase the appeal of the study, which is of relevance for both agronomic practitioners and evolutionary biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Interleukin 10 controls the balance between tolerance, pathogen elimination and immunopathology in birds

1. Dominique Meunier
2. Ricardo Corona-Torres
3. Kay Boulton
4. Zhiguang Wu
5. Maeve Ballantyne
6. Laura Glendinning
7. Anum Ali Ahmad
8. Dominika Borowska
9. Lorna Taylor
10. Lonneke Vervelde
11. Jorge del Pozo
12. Marili Vasilogianni
13. José Jaramillo-Ortiz
14. Gonzalo Sanchez-Arsuaga
15. Androniki Psifidi
16. Fiona Tomley
17. Kellie A Watson
18. Michael J McGrew
19. Mark P Stevens
20. Damer P Blake
21. David A Hume

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  Despite the conserved anti-inflammatory activity in birds, whether IL-10 also controls avian intestinal homeostasis remains unclear. Generating genetic knockouts, Meunier et al. firmly established that a complete lack of IL-10 strengthened immunity against enteric bacteria in chickens, while also aggravating infection-inflicted tissue damage upon parasite infection. The findings presented in this manuscript are valuable, and the strength of evidence is convincing; however, it is advised that the deficiencies and weaknesses pointed out by all the reviewers are meticulously addressed.

Reviewed by eLife

Heritability of movie-evoked brain activity and connectivity

1. David C Gruskin
2. Daniel J Vieira
3. Jessica K Lee
4. Gaurav H Patel

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This paper addresses a valuable research question on the heritability of the brain's response to movie watching, given various parameters such as regional spatial hyperalignment and BOLD frequency bands. The topic of this paper would be of interest to fMRI methodological experts, and potentially to a broader cognitive neuroscience audience, and those with an interest in understanding the heritable sources of individual differences in brain function. However, the current findings provide incomplete support for the conclusions, since several key methodological concerns need to be addressed to ensure the validity of the analyses and results.

Reviewed by eLife

Ribosomal RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase I is regulated by premature termination of transcription

1. Chaïma Azouzi
2. Katrin Schwank
3. Sophie Queille
4. Marta Kwapisz
5. Marion Aguirrebengoa
6. Anthony Henras
7. Simon Lebaron
8. Herbert Tschochner
9. Annick Lesne
10. Frédéric Beckouët
11. Olivier Gadal
12. Christophe Dez

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This manuscript characterizes a mutated clone of RNA polymerase I in yeast, referred to as SuperPol, to understand the mechanisms of RNA polymerase I elongation and termination. The authors present solid evidence that SuperPol has higher processivity during transcription elongation than wild-type RNA polymerase I. Notably, the study provides evidence that the transcriptional pause of RNA polymerase I may be a therapeutic vulnerability in cancers. Overall, the characterization of this RNA pol I is important as it provides insights into the regulation of ribosomal RNA transcription and its potential application in cancer pharmacology.

  [Editors' note: this paper was reviewed by Review Commons.]

Reviewed by eLife, Review Commons

microRNA-19b regulates proliferation & patterning in the avian forebrain

1. Archita Mishra
2. Suvimal Kumar Sindhu
3. Niveda Udaykumar
4. Jonaki Sen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study provides insights into a key question in comparative neuroanatomy and development. The authors provide evidence of the role for a particular micro-RNA in regulating the development of key transcription factors that control forebrain development. The study rests on clear but incomplete results.

Reviewed by eLife

CHROMAS: A Computational Pipeline to Track Chromatophores and Analyse their Dynamics

1. Johann Ukrow
2. Mathieu D. M. Renard
3. Mahyar Moghimi
4. Gilles Laurent

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The open-source software Chromas tracks and analyses cephalopod chromatophore dynamics. The software features a user-friendly interface alongside detailed instructions for its application, with compelling exemplary applications to two widely divergent cephalopod species, a squid and a cuttlefish, over time periods large enough to encompass new chromatophore development among existing ones. It demonstrates accurate tracking of the position and identity of each chromatophore. The software and methods outlined therein will become an important tool for scientists tracking dynamic signaling in animals.

Reviewed by eLife

Human RAP2A Homolog of the Drosophila Asymmetric Cell Division Regulator Rap2l Targets the Stemness of Glioblastoma Stem Cells

1. Maribel Franco
2. Ricardo Gargini
3. Víctor M Barberá
4. Miguel Saceda
5. Ana Carmena

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This useful study explores the role of RAP2A in asymmetric cell division (ACD) regulation in glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), drawing parallels to Drosophila ACD mechanisms and proposing that an imbalance toward symmetric divisions drives tumor progression. While findings on RAP2A's role in GSC expansion are promising, the study is nevertheless incomplete. Limitations include the lack of comprehensive GBM subtype analysis, insufficient mechanistic validation, and reliance on neurosphere models without in vivo confirmation. Addressing those gaps is necessary to substantiate the study's claims.

Reviewed by eLife

Single-cell type analysis of wing premotor circuits in the ventral nerve cord of Drosophila melanogaster

1. Erica Ehrhardt
2. Samuel C Whitehead
3. Shigehiro Namiki
4. Ryo Minegishi
5. Igor Siwanowicz
6. Kai Feng
7. Hideo Otsuna
8. FlyLight Project Team
9. Geoffrey W Meissner
10. David Stern
11. James W Truman
12. David Shepherd
13. Michael H Dickinson
14. Kei Ito
15. Barry J Dickson
16. Itai Cohen
17. Gwyneth M Card
18. Wyatt Korff

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important resource paper presents a library of cell-type-specific genetic driver lines that label wing-related motor and premotor neurons in the ventral nerve cord of the fruit fly, Drosophila. The toolkit is systematically validated with compelling anatomical and behavioral evidence and will provide a resource for future studies of Drosophila flight and courtship.

Reviewed by eLife

Targeted and random mutagenesis of cassava brown streak disease susceptibility factors reveal molecular determinants of disease severity

1. ZJ Daniel Lin
2. Myia K Stanton
3. Gabriela L Hernandez
4. Elizabeth J De Meyer
5. Zachary von Behren
6. Katherine Benza
7. Helene Tiley
8. Emerald Hood
9. Greg Jensen
10. Kerrigan B Gilbert
11. James C Carrington
12. Rebecca S Bart

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study shows that mutations in specific cassava genes can reduce infection by cassava brown streak viruses. The authors also identify a key amino acid change that may be significant in how the virus interacts with the plant, but its role is not yet confirmed. While the findings are promising for developing resistant cassava varieties, in the absence of testing a quadruple mutant and without more data on the critical importance of amino acid L5 in VPg-eIF4E interactions, the evidence for several of the major claims remains incomplete.

Reviewed by eLife

Esr1-Dependent Signaling and Transcriptional Maturation in the Medial Preoptic Area of the Hypothalamus Shapes the Development of Mating Behavior during Adolescence

1. Koichi Hashikawa
2. Yoshiko Hashikawa
3. Brandy Briones
4. Kentaro Ishii
5. Yuejia Liu
6. Mark A Rossi
7. Marcus L Basiri
8. Jane Y Chen
9. Omar R Ahmad
10. Rishi V Mukundan
11. Nathan L Johnston
12. Rhiana C Simon
13. James C Soetedjo
14. Jason R Siputro
15. Jenna A McHenry
16. Richard D Palmiter
17. David R Rubinow
18. Larry S Zweifel
19. Garret D Stuber

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The authors test the hypothesis that gonadal steroid signaling influences the transcriptional development of specific neurons in the mPOA during adolescence, and that such adolescent development of the mPOA is necessary for mating behaviors. The findings are valuable and supported by convincing data. This work contributes new insight into hormone-sensitive transcriptional profiles within genetically defined neuron clusters in the mPOA during adolescence and will be of interest to systems and molecular neuroscientists and those interested in development, sex differences, and/or hormonal regulation.

Reviewed by eLife

Defined cellular reprogramming of androgen receptor-active prostate cancer to neuroendocrine prostate cancer

1. Shan Li
2. Kai Song
3. Huiyun Sun
4. Yong Tao
5. Arthur Huang
6. Vipul Bhatia
7. Brian Hanratty
8. Radhika A Patel
9. Henry W Long
10. Colm Morrissey
11. Michael C Haffner
12. Peter S Nelson
13. Thomas G Graeber
14. John K Lee

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The study by Li et al. provides fundamental findings supported by convincing evidence that they defined cellular reprogramming of androgen receptor in neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). The findings enhance the understanding of the treatment of androgen receptor functions in NEPC.

Reviewed by eLife

Multiplexed CRISPRi Reveals a Transcriptional Switch Between KLF Activators and Repressors in the Maturing Neocortex

1. Ryan W Kirk
2. Liwei Sun
3. Ruixuan Xiao
4. Erin A Clark
5. Sacha Nelson

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This is an important study utilizing innovative CRISPR based approaches demonstrating the role of the KLF family of transcription factors in the post natal maturation of cortical projection neurons. The strength of evidence overall is compelling, and the study is well executed. The screen data presented provides a number of interesting candidates for future analyses into the mechanism of action of KLF family members in neuronal maturation.

Reviewed by eLife

cxcl18b-defined transitional state-specific nitric oxide drives injury-induced Müller glia cell-cycle re-entry in the zebrafish retina

1. Aojun Ye
2. Shuguang Yu
3. Meng Du
4. Dongming Zhou
5. Jie He
6. Chang Chen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  Following retinal injury, zebrafish Müller glia reenter the cell cycle and generate replacement cells; this potentially valuable study proposes that injury induces a cxcl18b+ transitional state in Müller cells, which then express nitric oxide, inhibiting notch signaling and allowing Müller glial to reenter the cell cycle. However, the evidence supporting the claims is incomplete; technical limitations and inconsistencies within the data raise concerns. Using larval animals complicates the analysis since the retina is still forming, and distinguishing between injury-induced regeneration and ongoing development is complex. With more rigorous testing of the signaling pathways proposed and a clear demonstration of their interdependence, the link between nitric oxide signaling and Notch activity, particularly, would interest those investigating retinal regeneration.

Reviewed by eLife

Affinity-guided labeling reveals P2X7 nanoscale membrane redistribution during microglial activation

1. Benoit Arnould
2. Adeline Martz
3. Pauline Belzanne
4. Francisco Andrés Peralta
5. Federico Cevoli
6. Volodya Hovhannisyan
7. Yannick Goumon
8. Eric Hosy
9. Alexandre Specht
10. Thomas Grutter

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The authors employ an unbiased, affinity-guided reagent to label P2X7 receptor and use super-resolution imaging to monitor P2X7 redistribution in response to inflammatory signaling. The evidence is generally solid but could be further strengthened through revisions. The study will be valuable to those studying the dynamics of receptor distribution and clustering.

Reviewed by eLife

Tumor Cell Spatial Organization Directs EGFR/RAS/RAF Pathway Primary Therapy Resistance through YAP Signaling

1. Rachel Nakagawa
2. Andrew Beardsley
3. Sophia Durney
4. Mary-Kate Hayward
5. Vishvak Subramanyam
6. Nathaniel P Meyer
7. Harrison Wismer
8. Hani Goodarzi
9. Valerie M Weaver
10. Daniel Van de Mark
11. Andrei Goga

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study identifies a role for YAP in regulating tumor cell growth and drug response with differential effects noted based upon growth conditions in monolayer vs spheroid culture. This work has the potential to define more biologically relevant cell culture model systems for drug resistance and define targetable pathways to overcome drug resistance. The findings described are important to the cancer biology field and the evidence supporting the key findings is convincing.

Reviewed by eLife

Imaging of brain electric field networks with spatially resolved EEG

1. Lawrence R Frank
2. Vitaly L Galinsky
3. Olave Krigolson
4. Susan Tapert
5. Stephan Bickel
6. Antigona Martinez

Reviewed by eLife