Evaluated articles

eLife assessment

This study shows that Znhit1, a regulator of chromatin and of the histone variant H2A.Z, is required for progression through meiotic prophase. It is an important observation that describes the role of epigenetics and gene expression during meiosis. The analysis is based on complementary approaches at the cytological, single-cell, and genomic levels that provide solid evidence for the role of Znhit1 in the control of gene expression and in the loading of H2A.Z in mouse spermatocytes.

eLife Assessment

This important study reports numerous attempts to replicate reports on transgenerational inheritance of a learned behavior – pathogen avoidance – in C. elegans. While the authors observe parental effects that are limited to a single generation (also called intergenerational inheritance), the authors failed to find evidence for transmission over multiple generations, or transgenerational inheritance. The experiments presented are meticulously described, making for compelling evidence that in the authors' hands transgenerational inheritance cannot be observed. There remains the possibility that different assay setups explain the failure to reproduce previous observations, although the authors present data suggesting that details of the assay are not that significant. There also remains the possibility that differences in culture conditions or lab environment explain the failure to reproduce previous observations, with updates to the paper having further reduced the probability that this applies here. Even if this were the case, it would imply that the original experimental paradigm was dependent on a very specific context. Given the prominence of the original reports of transgenerational inheritance, the present study is of broad interest to anyone studying genetics, epigenetics, or learned behavior.

[As also pointed out by the authors of this study, the authors of the original reports have provided a response on bioRxiv (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.21.634111).]

eLife Assessment

This manuscript describes the characterization of the conformational dynamics of two chemokine receptors at the single-molecule level using FRET. The authors make a convincing case for attributing the distinct interaction and pharmacology of the two receptors to differences in their conformational energy landscape. These important findings will be of interest to scientists working on activation mechanisms of GPCRs and signal transduction.

eLife assessment

This is a useful study that generated a rich inventory of genetic interactions with the potential to produce new insight into the molecular function of Bam-associated proteins. The interactions with genes of unknown function are of special interest as they may suggest experiments to find the functions of these genes. The overall data provided to support their conclusions is solid, but there is a major concern with known polar effects on certain mutations, which should be addressed by complementation.

eLife Assessment

This study presents a useful theoretical model of molecular evolution of multi-copy gene systems by extending the classic Haldane model and applies the model to explain the surprisingly rapid evolution of rRNA genes. Although the conceptual model is intuitive and provides a new perspective for contextualizing this problem, the model presented does not adequately consider plausible biological constraints on the molecular and genetic processes. The lack of such constraints in the model, along with technical issues in the data analysis, provide incomplete support for the conclusion that the genetic variation patterns of rRNA genes in mouse is compatible with neutral evolution.

eLife Assessment

This important study presents a high-resolution cryoEM structure of the supercomplex between photosystem I (PSI) and fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c-binding proteins (FCPs) from the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana CCMP1335, revealing subunits, protein:protein interactions and pigments not previously seen in other diatoms or red/green photosynthetic lineages. Combining structural, sequence and phylogenetic analyses, the authors provide convincing evidence of conserved motifs crucial for the binding of FCPs, accompanied by interesting speculation about the mechanisms governing the assembly of PSI-FCP supercomplexes in diatoms and their implications for related PSI-LHC supercomplexes in plants. The findings set the stage for functional experiments that will further advance the fields of photosynthesis, bioenergy, ocean biogeochemistry and evolutionary relationships between photosynthetic organisms.

eLife Assessment

This important study by Wu et al presents convincing data on bacterial cell organization, demonstrating that the two structures that account for bacterial motility - the chemotaxis complex and the flagella - colocalize to the same pole in Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells, and expose the regulation underlying their spatial organization and functioning. This manuscript will be of interest to cell biologists, primarily those studying bacteria.

eLife Assessment

This important study offers substantial technical advancements for neural circuit tracing in larval zebrafish, a model for systems and developmental neurobiology. The enhanced rabies virus-based retrograde transneuronal tracing improves efficiency and provides a method for combined structural and functional brain mapping. The supporting evidence is solid, and there is strong confidence in the technique's utility for neurobiologists working with zebrafish.

eLife assessment

This useful study reports that the Drosophila transcription factor sisterless A (sisA) regulates the expression of Sex-lethal (Sxl) in female germ cells. The data supporting claims regarding the genetic requirement of sisA are convincing, but the characterization of the cis-regulatory elements controlling Sxl expression in the female germline is viewed as incomplete. The work will be of significant interest to colleagues studying reproductive biology and sex determination.

eLife Assessment

This important study uses the Jurkat T cell model to study the role of Formin-like 1 β phosphorylation at S1086 on actin dynamics and exosome release at the immunological synapse. The evidence supporting these findings is compelling within the framework of the Jurkat model. As the Jurkat model is known to have a bias toward formin-mediated actin filament formation at the expense of Arp2/3-mediated branched F-actin foci observed in primary T cells, it will be beneficial in the future to confirm major findings in primary T cells.

eLife Assessment

This important study provides significant insights into the dynamics of attentional re-orienting within visual working memory, demonstrating how expected and unexpected memory tests influence attention focus and re-focus. The evidence supporting these conclusions is convincing, with the use of state-of-the-art methodologies. This work will be of interest to cognitive neuroscientists studying attention and memory.

eLife Assessment

This important study shows that retinal bipolar cell subtype-specific differences in the size of synaptic ribbon-associated vesicle pools contribute to the transient versus sustained kinetics of the responses of retinal ganglion cells. The data are extensive and compelling. This work will be of broad interest to researchers working on synaptic transmission, retinal signal processing, and sensory neurobiology.

eLife Assessment

This study presents a valuable finding relating to how the state of arousal is represented within the superior colliculus, a principal visuo-oculomotor structure. The main conclusion that the representation of arousal is segregated, and thus influences visual activity but not motor output, is incompletely supported by the evidence, but could be stronger if a specific concern relating to an alternative explanation for the dichotomy was addressed. The work will be of interest to sensory, motor, and cognitive neuroscientists.

eLife Assessment

This paper reports on an important study that aims to move beyond current experimental approaches in speech production by (1) investigating speech in the context of a fully interactive task and (2) employing advanced methodology to record intracranial brain activity. Together these allow for examination of the unfolding temporal dynamics of brain-behaviour relationships during interactive speech. This approach and the analyses presented in support of the authors' claims pose convincing evidence.

eLife assessment

This paper introduces an efficient approach to identify subunits in the receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells. The general approach has been used in this application previously and this limits the conceptual advance of the paper. The improved speed is valuable, as it allows a more thorough exploration of the control parameters in this analysis and facilitates application to larger populations of cells. Validation of the approach is convincing. The paper would benefit from a more thorough exploration of the method and its limitations, or an extension of the new results about subunit populations.

eLife assessment

This valuable study investigates the contribution of far-red light photo-acclimated cyanobacteria to primary production in intertidal beachrock habitats. Though the study presents solid evidence, the text would benefit from an improved discussion section and some additional methodological details.

eLife assessment

This important study utilizes a comprehensive array of animal and cellular models, alongside various techniques, to elucidate the mechanism by which adipose tissue miR-802 contributes to inflammation and metabolic dysfunction in obesity. The data is solid, with clear, reproducible changes showing low variability among biological replicates and consistency across different models. However, some conclusions should be further substantiated with additional data to enhance the scope and strength of the manuscript.

eLife assessment

This important study uses convincing time-resolved proximity proteomics, validated with proximity ligation assays, to provide new insight into mechanical regulation of caveolin-1 complexes that form in migrating cells. Solid follow up experiments reveal a reciprocal relationship between mechanosensitive caveolae and RhoGTPase signalling in migrating cells, but evidence supporting a direct link between the newly identified factors with a specific caveolae subpopulation remains incomplete at this stage.

eLife assessment

This important study investigates how memory representations are transformed over time (24h period). The work advances our understanding of the neural processes supporting the behavioral integration of memories for distinct events that are never experienced together in time but are linked by shared predictive cues. Evidence supporting the claims is solid, and reporting of additional comparisons would have strengthened the study.

eLife Assessment

Modulation of BMP signalling affects body size in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and this paper examines the effects on C. elegans body size brought about by the modulation of BMP signalling. Thw study provides valuable analyses of ChIP-seq and RNA-Seq data to understand the function of SMA-3 (Smad) and SMA-9 (Schnurri) in this model. The authors provide compelling evidence that the BMP-dependent body size effect could be due to defects in cuticle collagen secretion, a finding of interest to those studying organismal growth and epidermal function.