Overexpression of PgCBF3 and PgCBF7 Transcription Factors from Pomegranate Enhances Freezing Tolerance in Arabidopsis under the Promoter Activity Positively Regulated by PgICE1

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The research presented in the manuscript entitled "Overexpression of PgCBF3 and PgCBF7 transcription factors from pomegranate enhances freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis under the promoter activity positively regulated by PgICE1” by Lei Wang, Sa Wang, Ruiran Tong, Sen Wang, Jianan Yao, Jian Jiao, Ran Wan, Miaomiao Wang, Jiangli Shi and Xianbo Zheng concerns cold and freezing stress tolerance mechanisms acting in Arabidopsis thaliana. This plant, which the authors used as their base material, is well known as a model organism in various biological disciplines and plant material research. The advantages of this model organism (Arabidopsis thaliana) are well known. As the aim of the research, the authors chose this plant to understand cold and freeze mechanisms. Moreover, apart from the wild-type plant they use transgenic lines.  

          In the compact and short part of the paper, the “Introduction,” the authors underlined the importance of cold stress as a major environmental factor that adversely affects the plant growth and development, and among others, decides about the distribution of flora across our planet. Then, the authors list the processes and biochemical changes that depend on abiotic factors such as cold stress. The most extensive part of the Introduction contains good background for the main subject of presented in the paper studies. The data in this section are documented by using 26 cited publications, which were very well selected by authors of reviewed paper.

          In the next, second part of the reviewed publication, entitled “2. Results” the subsequent steps of the research are described in detail. My attention is drawn to the excellent documentation of the research presented in this part. The documentation consists of 8 complex Figures, which present very bright, clear, and elaborate results of research. I am convinced that the authors conducted the research described in the manuscript using a variety of appropriately selected techniques.

In the next part “3. Discussion,” the results obtained by the authors are thoroughly analyzed and discussed in a proper and interesting way. The main discussed topics of the Discussion are compared to the well-chosen literature data.

Part “4. Material and Methods” contains the description of numerous methods used by the authors of the reviewed publication. I did not notice any mistakes in the used methods.

The main results obtained by the authors are summed up in the fifth part of the reviewed paper entitled “5. Conclusion.” The conclusions are well formulated and are adequately derived from the author’s data.

To sum up, I find this paper very interesting and I think that the reviewed paper is suitable for publishing in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences”.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

Thanks a lot for your good suggestions. We have modified several language and expression mistakes in the revised manuscript. Additionally, Fig 5 has been replaced because of different font sizes in Fig. 5e.

Reviewer 2 Report

Please proof read the manuscript for spell checks and errors in sentence construction.

The discussion section can be improved. 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thanks a lot for your comments. Now, we have modified several language and expression mistakes. Additionall, because of different font sizes in Fig. 5e, the figure was replaced. 

Best wishes,

Jiangli Shi