Peer review in Lhx1 maintains synchrony among circadian oscillator neurons of the SCN

Peer review process
Decision letter

Peer review process

This article was accepted for publication as part of eLife's original publishing model.

History

Version of Record published August 20, 2014
Accepted Manuscript published July 17, 2014
Accepted July 10, 2014
Received May 13, 2014

Decision letter

Louis Ptáček

Reviewing Editor; University of California, San Francisco, United States

eLife posts the editorial decision letter and author response on a selection of the published articles (subject to the approval of the authors). An edited version of the letter sent to the authors after peer review is shown, indicating the substantive concerns or comments; minor concerns are not usually shown. Reviewers have the opportunity to discuss the decision before the letter is sent (see review process). Similarly, the author response typically shows only responses to the major concerns raised by the reviewers.

Thank you for sending your work entitled “Lhx1 maintains synchrony among circadian oscillator neurons of the SCN” for consideration at eLife. Your article has been favorably evaluated by a Senior editor and two reviewers, one of whom, Louis Ptáček, is a member of our Board of Reviewing Editors. We are very pleased to inform you that your article has been accepted for publication.

The manuscript by Hatori and colleagues describes an elegant line of experiments showing that Lhx1 is a master regulator of clock neurons in the SCN, and for communication and coordination among these neurons. The experiments range for extensive expression analysis of SCN in WT mice under different lighting regimens. They go on to identify Lhx1 as a candidate of particular interest and then do in vitro and in vivo experiments that support this supposition. There is beautiful correlation of the light induced transcriptional changes with the degree to which there is light-induced behavioral phase shifting.

One concern you might like to address before publication is the use of Lhx1 as ‘THE’ master regulator of SCN. I favor a more conservative approach in referring to it as ‘A’ master regulator.

[Editors’ note: given the minor nature of the revisions, there is not an accompanying Author response.]

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03357.019