Tandem Mass Tag-Based Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Gonads Reveals New Insight into Sexual Reversal Mechanism in Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtles
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
In the Manuscript " TMT-based quantitative proteomics analysis of gonads reveals new insight into sexual reversal mechanism in Chinese soft-shelled turtles" the authors present a TMT-based quantitative proteomics analysis for comparison of Female, Male, Pseudo-female and Pseudo-male of P. sinensis gonads. The data presented are really interesting and well presented. I am convinced that they could become a reference point for future studies in this field.
Nevertheless, I believe the Discussion needs to be improved and implemented.
In the first part of the Discussion, the authors refer to several papers showing differentially expressed genes in the different sexes, nevertheless the authors do not comment their proteomic results in relations to the differentially expressed genes mentioned in these papers. Furthermore, the authors refer to differential proteins downregulated or upregulated in several specific pathways between the different groups of comparison, nevertheless they do not comment or try to establish if these groups could be related to specific male or female characteristics/differences. About the sentence “The results demonstrated that some common genes and signaling pathways may both influence the direction of testis and ovarian differentiation”, it is not clearly enough explained the real significance of these differences. Also in the following sentences the conclusions are too general and results need to be more precisely analysed, not simply in the sense of number of differentially expressed proteins but also referring to functional significance and corresponding results already reported in literature.
I also suggest to add as supplementary material the RT results they obtained with the nine sexual genes they used to confirm the sex reversal of their samples. The authors only mention them in materials and methods.
I believe the text needs a read by a native speaker. There are verbal tenses and word uses that need a careful revision to make the reading much easier.
Line 200: add the number of Figure B, Figure 2B.
Author Response
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Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
I found the paper uninteresting as it does not connect the results obtained with changes in the gonad. It lacks a histological description of the gonads. The paper is descriptive and I did not understand the usefulness even if hormone treatment is used to have more males or females. Most of the introduction and discussion refers to species (shellfish and fish) that have little to do with turtles. Finally, the number of samples analyzed is low and replicas should be increased. I suggest that the authors discuss the result obtained and the possible implications for the species in all aspects (management, environmental and commercial). The paper could perhaps be considered as a short note or methodological note.
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
The document entitled "TMT-based quantitative proteomics analysis of gonads reveals new insight into sexual reversal mechanism in Chinese soft-shelled turtles", in my opinion need major revision before to be accepted for Biology.
The document is interesting and well written, however some improvements are needed.
Please explain abbreviation in the title TMT.
M&M Did authors possess Etical Committee acceptation?
2.3. Total protein extraction. Please give number of samples used. Explain in detailes what is it "each group" ? Explain MS-222 abbreviation.
Please provide biger size of your figures, impossible to analyse them.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
No comments
Reviewer 3 Report
The publication was sufficiently improved.
