DNA Methylation Machinery in Gastropod Mollusks

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Haidar et al. review DNA methylation in gastropods, a topic of growing interest. The manuscript covers the different characters involved in DNA methylation regulation and provides the reader with state-of-the-art DNA methylation studies on these animals. The authors have covered the different issues related to DNA methylation and its relevance in gastropod physiology, the present knowledge of its functions in different biological processes, and future research on this topic.

Author Response

We thank the reviewer for his valuable time and positive comments on our manuscript. We are also grateful that the reviewer found the manuscript acceptable for publication with no major revisions required. We must mention that we made minor edits to the manuscript to improve clarity and strengthen the presentation of our findings. These edits primarily focused on grammar and overall fluency. We are confident that the revised manuscript is now ready for publication in Life.

Thank you again for your time and consideration.

Dragos Nica

Reviewer 2 Report

The role of DNA methylation in mollusks is just beginning to be understood. This review 25 synthesizes current knowledge on this potent molecular hallmark of epigenetic control in gastro-26 pods — the largest class of mollusks and ubiquitous inhabitants of diverse habitats.

The presented manuscript as a review is about the methylation machinery in gastropods and more specifically the mollusks. The co-authors of the manuscript descrvie the overall features of DNA methylation in gastropods, which are complex and essential part of their epigenome. However, they mentioned that comprehensive studies integrating developmental stages, tissues, and environmental conditions, functional annotation of methylated regions, and integrated genomic-epigenomic analyses are lacking. It means that sddressing these knowledge gaps will advance the understanding of gastropod biology, ecology, and evolution. Generally, the manuscript is well structured and details about the methylation machinery in different species are well presented in the manuscript by including the a sufficient number of references. I would recommend to the Editor in Chief of the Journal to accept it for publication in the presented form.

Author Response

We appreciate the reviewers' careful consideration of our manuscript. While the reviewer found the manuscript acceptable without major revisions, we took this opportunity to further refine the text. We've meticulously reviewed the manuscript and implemented minor edits to enhance the manuscript's grammatical accuracy and overall flow. These revisions aimed to improve the clarity and conciseness of the writing, ensuring readers can grasp the research presented effectively. We believe these refinements strengthen the overall quality of the manuscript for publication.

Thank you once again for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dragos Nica