A Circular Chloroplast Genome of Fagus sylvatica Reveals High Conservation between Two Individuals from Germany and One Individual from Poland and an Alternate Direction of the Small Single-Copy Region
, Sebastian Ploch 1, Jaroslaw Burczyk 3 and Marco Thines 1,2,4,*Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The work is undoubtedly interesting, however some information is taken for granted and consequently the work as a whole is unclear and difficult to read, especially for a reader who may not even be an expert in the genus Fagus.
The title highlights that the study concerns the comparison between two individuals from Germany and one from Poland, thus, these three individuals should be well presented and described in a preface to the materials and methods, specifying very clearly their origin.
For example, complete chloroplast genome sequence of three individuals were considered, two from Germany and one from Poland: i) reference individual Bhaga, an ultra centenary tree from an undisturbed stand in the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park in central Germany; ii) Jamy, a Polish individual originating from … etc. etc, Poland; iii) tree code from ……Germany, previously described by Mader et al.
Also clearly specify again that two chloroplast sequences have been assembled in the present study and one has been obtained from a previous study by Mader et al. and used for comparison.
In general, the introduction could be implemented.
Line 30: conservation is already present in the title and must be replaced
Line 43: only few of them, they don't seem so few …
Line 44: replace Sebastini with Sebastiani
Line 62: I would suggest to divide this chapter into 2 parts, going to a new paragraph for Jamy
Line 63: please, specify the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, the German origin and eventually the coordinates again here. Add reference
Line 105: please, here again specify in bracket (obtained from Bhaga, Germany, and Jamy, Poland)
Line 106: specify in bracket individual code/name and country
Line 127: earlier … specify after genome: code/name from Germany
Line 138: start a new paragraph
Line 143: illumine-corrected corrected ?
Line 144: chloroplast configuration inferred in this study …. previously published, please, specify name and country of individuals
Line 160: add country of origin
Line 161: add individual name
Line 162: add individual code/name and country
Line 163: the order of chloroplast elements, whose?
Line 166: evidence of the accuracy
Line 167: reported previously, from who?
Author Response
Reviewer #1
The work is undoubtedly interesting, however some information is taken for granted and consequently the work as a whole is unclear and difficult to read, especially for a reader who may not even be an expert in the genus Fagus.
The title highlights that the study concerns the comparison between two individuals from Germany and one from Poland, thus, these three individuals should be well presented and described in a preface to the materials and methods, specifying very clearly their origin. For example, complete chloroplast genome sequence of three individuals were considered, two from Germany and one from Poland: i) reference individual Bhaga, an ultra centenary tree from an undisturbed stand in the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park in central Germany; ii) Jamy, a Polish individual originating from … etc. etc, Poland; iii) tree code from ……Germany, previously described by Mader et al.
### Done.
Also clearly specify again that two chloroplast sequences have been assembled in the present study and one has been obtained from a previous study by Mader et al. and used for comparison.
### Done.
In general, the introduction could be implemented.
Line 30: conservation is already present in the title and must be replaced
### Replaced by “conservation genetics”.
Line 43: only few of them, they don't seem so few …
### We agree. Replaced by “and some of them”
Line 44: replace Sebastini with Sebastiani
### Corrected.
Line 62: I would suggest to divide this chapter into 2 parts, going to a new paragraph for Jamy
### Done.
Line 63: please, specify the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, the German origin and eventually the coordinates again here. Add reference
### Location and citation added.
Line 105: please, here again specify in bracket (obtained from Bhaga, Germany, and Jamy, Poland)
### Done.
Line 106: specify in bracket individual code/name and country
### Done.
Line 127: earlier … specify after genome: code/name from Germany
### Done.
Line 138: start a new paragraph
### Done.
Line 143: illumine-corrected corrected ?
### Corrected “illumina-corrected corrected” by deleting “corrected”.
Line 144: chloroplast configuration inferred in this study …. previously published, please, specify name and country of individuals
### Done.
Line 160: add country of origin
### Done.
Line 161: add individual name
### Done.
Line 162: add individual code/name and country
### Done.
Line 163: the order of chloroplast elements, whose?
### Bhaga. This information was added.
Line 166: evidence of the accuracy
### Corrected.
Line 167: reported previously, from who?
### Information added.
Reviewer 2 Report
The authors did a great and important job. The aim of this study was to do evaluation regarding the variability of the complete chloroplast genome and to provide two additional chloroplast sequences from the central and north-eastern parts of the beech distribution.
I think this study is important and worthy of publication. The methodology, results and discussion are described accurately and clearly. I have no objections to the content of the study.
A few small notes:
Line 55 "variablitly" must by "variability"
Line 65 "proovread" may be "proofread"?
Author Response
Reviewer #2
The authors did a great and important job. The aim of this study was to do evaluation regarding the variability of the complete chloroplast genome and to provide two additional chloroplast sequences from the central and north-eastern parts of the beech distribution.
I think this study is important and worthy of publication. The methodology, results and discussion are described accurately and clearly. I have no objections to the content of the study.
A few small notes:
Line 55 "variablitly" must by "variability"
### Corrected.
Line 65 "proovread" may be "proofread"?
### “proovread” is the name of the software and, thus, not correctable.
