Progress in Elucidating the Mechanism of Selenium in Mitigating Heavy Metal Stress in Crop Plants
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report (New Reviewer)
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe article provides important updates on the beneficial effects of Se on plants affected by heavy metal stress. This topic is of great importance, given the human activity that leads to this condition in different regions.
I consider that the changes previously requested, which were forwarded in the manuscript to be considered, are sufficient for the article to be accepted for publication.
Author Response
Thank you for your patience and review of our mannuscript, which was very helpful to us. We have made revisions to the entire text according to your suggestions,
- I consider that the changes previously requested, which were forwarded in the manuscript to be considered, are sufficient for the article to be accepted for publication.
Response: Thank you very much for your high recognition and affirmation of our research work! Your professional review makes us feel greatly honored and greatly encourages us to continue to explore in this field. We will adhere to a rigorous attitude and further improve the relevant content in the subsequent research to live up to your expectations.
Reviewer 2 Report (New Reviewer)
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe agriculture-3393217 manuscript is a review and discusses the progress in elucidating the mechanism of selenium in mitigating heavy metal stress in crop plants.
The text is generally well-written; some points are raised below.
1. L.65: Which are the “inactive complexes” that Se forms with Cu and Hg? Please, explain.
2. Ls.165-72: repeated in Ls. 53-9 and Ls.62-64.
3. Ls.200-7: Please, add suitable Refs.
4. Ls.257-8: Which are the “non-toxic insoluble complexes” that Se forms with Cu and Hg? Please, explain.
5. L.260: Which are the “plant chelating agents”? Please, explain.
6. Ls.266-9 and Ls.274-6 have been repeated earlier (e.g., ls.62-4).
7. Ls.260-2: Unclear.
8. L.377: the parenthesis is unclear.
9. L.448: Which is the “composite sol”?
10. Ls.763-4: Unclear.
11. L.791: What is the “Cu-Cd-Cr composite”?
12. L.817: Please, explain how Se interacts with HM through complexation.
Author Response
Thank you for your patient review of our manuscript. It has been of great help to us. We have already revised the manuscript according to the suggestions you put forward,
- 65: Which are the “inactive complexes” that Se forms with Cu and Hg? Please, explain.
Response: We integrated this part of the content into “2.1. Se reduces the bioavailability of HMs”. In References 32 and 33, the authors discussed that in the soil, selenium (Se) forms Se-Hg and Se-Cd compounds with heavy metals cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) respectively, thus reducing the absorption of heavy metals by plants.
- 165-72: repeated in Ls. 53-9 and Ls.62-64.
Response: After careful consideration, we deleted the content from line 53-59 in the introduction and integrated it into the “4. Soil environmental factors and Se in alleviating HM stress” section.
- 200-7: Please, add suitable Refs.
Response: We integrated this part of the content into the “Introduction”. We added appropriate references, References 25-28, in lines 200-207 to support our arguments.
- 257-8: Which are the “non-toxic insoluble complexes” that Se forms with Cu and Hg? Please, explain.
Response: In the original manuscript, in the “Se reduces the bioavailability of HMs” section, in order to support the argument that selenium reduces the transfer coefficient of cadmium, Reference 22 was cited again. Here, the “non-toxic insoluble complexes” formed by selenium with cadmium and mercury are still the Se-Hg and Se-Cd compounds mentioned before. And we integrated this part of the content into “2.1. Se reduces the bioavailability of HMs”.
- 260: Which are the “plant chelating agents”? Please, explain.
Response: We’re sorry that there was an error in the expression here. It should be “phytochelatins” instead of “plant chelating agents”. Phytochelatins (PCs) are a class of small molecular polypeptides rich in cysteine. They are metal-binding peptides synthesized in plants, and their main function is to chelate heavy metal ions, thereby reducing the toxicity of heavy metals to plant cells. It is PCs that are discussed in Reference 34.
- 266-9 and Ls.274-6 have been repeated earlier (e.g., ls.62-4).
Response: We have deleted the duplicate parts and integrated this part of the content into “2.1. Se reduces the bioavailability of HMs”.
- 260-2: Unclear.
Response: I’m sorry that the unclear expression of this sentence was caused by the error in the formulation of the previous sentence. I added the subject “PCs” to this sentence to make its expression clearer.
- 377: the parenthesis is unclear.
Response: In Reference 57, Ewa Maria Przedpelska-Wasowicz et al. studied the changes in water permeability and aquaporin activity of leaf cells in response to different heavy metals (Zn2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Hg2+) using onion epidermal cells. The results showed that the toxic effects of the studied metal ions at the cellular level might involve AQP gating.
- 448: Which is the “composite sol”?
Response: In Reference 63, Wang et al. prepared nano-selenium, nano-silica and a composite sol of nano-silica : nano-selenium = 2:1 (v/v) respectively. However, only the foliar spraying experiment of the composite sol was carried out. Therefore, the “composite sol” mentioned in line 448 of the manuscript refers to the composite sol of nano-silica : nano-selenium = 2:1 (v/v).
- 763-4: Unclear.
Response: I’m sorry that my expression wasn’t clear enough. In Reference 94, Zhang et al. applied selenium on the leaves of potatoes in three stages. They found that applying selenite during the potato tuber expansion stage could promote the accumulation of organic selenium (the main type being selenomethionine) in potatoes and increase the nutritional value of potatoes.
- 791: What is the “Cu-Cd-Cr composite”?
Response: I’m sorry that my expression wasn’t very clear. In Reference 107, Nie et al. collected the soil from the surface layer of 0-20 cm at Huazhong Agricultural University (30°28′43′′N, 114°21′N0′′E). Then, they artificially contaminated it with CuCl₂・2H₂O, CdCl₂・2.5H₂O and K₂Cr₂O₇ to obtain the Cu-Cd-Cr contaminated soil, which is the “Cu-Cd-Cr composite-contaminated soil” mentioned in the manuscript.
- 817: Please, explain how Se interacts with HM through complexation.
Response: In References 32 and 33, the authors discussed that Se can form inactive complexes with Cd and Hg, thereby reducing the absorption of heavy metals by plants. In the research conducted by Zhao et al., it was found that SeNPs can capture Hg²⁺ to form HgSe, and HgSeNPs can reduce the transfer of Hg to the above-ground parts (https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EN01294J). In the study by Zhang et al., Cd can form CdSeO₃ and CdSeO₄ with SeO32- and SeO42-, and can also form Cd-Se with Se²- to reduce the bioavailability of cadmium (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.331).
Reviewer 3 Report (New Reviewer)
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe article "Progress in Elucidating the Mechanism of Selenium in Mitigating Heavy Metal Stress in Crop Plants" is an extensive study on the positive impact of selenium (Si) on plants under heavy metal (HM) stress conditions. Creating this article required a lot of time and effort; however, I have some comments on the review that should be considered:
This review differs from many previous articles (see below) mainly in the form of processing, but not in the content. It is a complex web of various pieces of information, from which it is relatively difficult to grasp what is truly new in this field. I would recommend that the authors focus more on a specific issue that has been less processed or not processed at all, or that the review should concentrate on a narrower, more specific area of the topic: for example, focusing only on physiology or only on genetics, only on Cd or another HM, etc.
Previous works published on this issue:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935124022813 : Di et al., 2025
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383133463_Research_Progress_on_the_Physiological_Mechanism_by_Which_Selenium_Alleviates_Heavy_Metal_Stress_in_Plants_A_Review : Yuan et al., 2024,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653524020472?via%3Dihub : Tian et al., 2024
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/5/1083 : Asgher et al., 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10725-023-00988-0 : Khan et al. 2023
https://www.scielo.br/j/bjb/a/FQ8qFMDC6nVk63SRt6gww7J/?format=pdf&lang=en :
Seregina et al., 2023:
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/1/44 : Liu et al. 2023:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.792770/full : Hasanuzzaman et al., 2022
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/plb.13435 : Lai et al. 2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389420315569 : Feng et al., 2021
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01691-w : Zwolak et al., 2020
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.586421 : Zhou et al., 2020
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10643389.2020.1796566 : Rizwan et al., 2020
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/59906 : Medrano-Macías et al., 2018
https://jenvbs.journals.ekb.eg/article_3215_9e7ce0d28b41d06718227a38bdf4d97d.pdf : Domokos-Szabolcsy et al., 2017
https://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/article/10.11648/j.ijaas.20170301.11 : Saha et al., 2017
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283825038_Involvement_of_Selenium_in_Protective_Mechanisms_of_Plants_under_Environmental_Stress_Conditions_-_Review : Sieprawska et al. 2015
Additional comments:
The article does not reflect the fact that the stimulatory-protective effect of selenium may represent the principle of the hormetic response in plants, as pointed out by several articles, for example:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-024-06535-8
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17963820/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X24002811
Furthermore: Can certain doses of Se be toxic to plants? What are the toxic doses of Se for plants? Is the stimulatory effect of Se universal across the plant kingdom? Which heavy metal's accumulation or toxicity can be most influenced by Se? Many of these questions remain unanswered, although this information could provide a deeper, more novel insight into the topic.
Other:
Arsenic is not a heavy metal - Line 30
At one point, it is stated that Se is essential for plants (Line 12), and at another, it is mentioned as beneficial (Line 50).
Line 52: The terms selenite (Se4+) and selenate (Se6+) should be clarified as SeO32− and SeO42−.
Chapter 2, "The role of Se in plant growth," would be better placed at the beginning of the article.
Chapter 2 also describes cases where metabolism is altered by adding Se to the growth medium, but this is not the primary significance for plants. Additionally, the benefits of Se biofortification should not be the subject of this chapter.
There are formatting issues throughout the article that need to be corrected, for example: Line 46: respectively[14], Line 48: pollution[15].
Line 97: Tamaoki et al. – missing reference year, Line 101: Shahid et al., etc. – needs to be checked throughout the article.
etc.
Author Response
Thank you for your patience and review of our mannuscript, which was very helpful to us. We have made revisions to the entire text according to your suggestions,
- This review differs from many previous articles (see below) mainly in the form of processing, but not in the content. It is a complex web of various pieces of information, from which it is relatively difficult to grasp what is truly new in this field. I would recommend that the authors focus more on a specific issue that has been less processed or not processed at all, or that the review should concentrate on a narrower, more specific area of the topic: for example, focusing only on physiology or only on genetics, only on Cd or another HM, etc.
Response: We have carefully considered your suggestions and revised the entire manuscript. We noticed that the main type of heavy metal we discussed was Cd, and most of the other heavy metals mentioned in the text were studied concurrently with Cd by researchers. To avoid the broadness of the description, we made revisions to the original manuscript, deleted the content of Chapter 2, and refined and integrated it into other parts of the manuscript to avoid unnecessary repetition and make the theme more prominent. We believe that focusing only on physiology or genetics, the interaction between Se and HMs in plants is a complex network involving multiple aspects such as physiology and genetics. By integrating physiological and molecular mechanisms, we can have a more comprehensive understanding of how selenium alleviates heavy metal stress. This comprehensive perspective enables us to reveal the complex connections and interactions among different processes, which is crucial for in-depth exploration of this topic.
- Additional comments:The article does not reflect the fact that the stimulatory-protective effect of selenium may represent the principle of the hormetic response in plants, as pointed out by several articles, for example:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-024-06535-8
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17963820/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X24002811
Response: Thank you for providing the references. We have carefully considered the references you provided. We adopted the first reference as reference 6 for the manuscript. As for the second reference (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17963820/), which is about the impact of Se on animals, we think it doesn't match the theme of the manuscript. For the third reference (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X24002811), we believe that the content it presents is reflected in the “6. Existing problems and challenges” section of the manuscript.
- Arsenic is not a heavy metal - Line 30
Response: We have deleted the parts related to As in the manuscript. The only remaining place where it appears, we have added the explanation “another toxic metalloid”.
- At one point, it is stated that Se is essential for plants (Line 12), and at another, it is mentioned as beneficial (Line 50).
Response: I’m terribly sorry that there were contradictions in my expressions. I’ve already made modifications to the description in line 12. Selenium is beneficial for the growth and development of plants, rather than being essential.
- Line 52: The terms selenite (Se4+) and selenate (Se6+) should be clarified as SeO32− and SeO42−.
Response: According to the comments of Reviewer 2, we have deleted the repetitive parts in lines 53-59 of the original manuscript and integrated them into the “ Soil environmental factors and Se in alleviating HM stress” section. Moreover, we have made modifications to the terms selenite (Se4+) and selenate (Se6+) in accordance with your suggestions.
- Chapter 2, “The role of Se in plant growth,” would be better placed at the beginning of the article.
Response: Based on your suggestion, we have removed the section “ The role of Se in plant growth” from the manuscript and integrated them respectively into Chapter 1,2,3,4 of the current manuscript.
- Chapter 2 also describes cases where metabolism is altered by adding Se to the growth medium, but this is not the primary significance for plants. Additionally, the benefits of Se biofortification should not be the subject of this chapter.
Response: We deleted the content about selenium biofortification and integrated this part into the “Introduction”. As for the research on regulating the metabolic pathways of Arabidopsis thaliana by adding selenium to the growth medium in Reference 7, we believe that it can also serve as a case of the impact of selenium on plant metabolic pathways.
- There are formatting issues throughout the article that need to be corrected, for example: Line 46: respectively[14], Line 48: pollution[15].
Response: Thank you for your reminder. We have proofread the format of the entire manuscript.
- Line 97: Tamaoki et al. – missing reference year, Line 101: Shahid et al., etc. – needs to be checked throughout the article.
Response: We have proofread the format of the references and found no missing years. As for expressions like “Tamaoki et al.” that appear in the manuscript, we didn’t add the reference years but just added “[7]” after the sentences.
This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript addresses a relevant and current topic in sustainable agriculture, highlighting the role of selenium (Se) in mitigating heavy metal (HM) stress in crops. The authors have made a significant effort to present a comprehensive overview that includes physiological, molecular, and environmental aspects. However, I believe the text could benefit from some adjustments to enhance its clarity and practical utility.
Clarity in data presentation: Some sections contain redundant information or overly long sentences that hinder smooth reading for the target audience. I suggest revisiting the sections on molecular and physiological mechanisms, simplifying the explanations without compromising scientific rigor.
A more balanced discussion: While the beneficial role of Se is well-documented, it would be valuable to include a more detailed discussion of the potential risks associated with its overuse, particularly regarding its toxicity at high concentrations. Simple figures or bullet-point summaries can ensure that the review is more frequently cited and used as material for undergraduate and graduate courses.
Visual representation: The figures are informative but could be even more helpful if they included specific examples of genes or interactions mentioned in the text. This would make the content more accessible to non-specialist readers.
Practical applications: The section on Se application technologies is interesting, but it could be expanded by comparing different methods (soil, foliar, hydroponic) with concrete examples of crops or conditions.
Overall, the work has great potential to contribute to the field, but these adjustments would make it more accessible and useful to a broader audience. I encourage you to continue developing this promising approach in agricultural research
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageThe manuscript's level of English is adequate for conveying scientific information; however, it contains overly long sentences and complex constructions that may hinder reading fluency. Simplifying sentences and avoiding redundancies would improve the clarity and accessibility of the text, especially for an international audience. This would not compromise scientific rigor and would make the manuscript more understandable for a broader audience.
Author Response
Thank you for your patience and review of our mannuscript, which was very helpful to us. We have made revisions to the entire text according to your suggestions,
1.Clarity in data presentation: Some sections contain redundant information or overly long sentences that hinder smooth reading for the target audience. I suggest revisiting the sections on molecular and physiological mechanisms, simplifying the explanations without compromising scientific rigor.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestions. We have already sent the manuscript for polishing and have simplified some sentences in the article.
2.A more balanced discussion: While the beneficial role of Se is well-documented, it would be valuable to include a more detailed discussion of the potential risks associated with its overuse, particularly regarding its toxicity at high concentrations. Simple figures or bullet-point summaries can ensure that the review is more frequently cited and used as material for undergraduate and graduate courses.
Answer: We have already added relevant research on the toxic effects of high concentrations of selenium on crops in the "Existing problems and challenges" section.
3.Visual representation: The figures are informative but could be even more helpful if they included specific examples of genes or interactions mentioned in the text. This would make the content more accessible to non-specialist readers.
Answer: We have already added and cited some of the genes and action mechanisms in the figures in the text.
4.Practical applications: The section on Se application technologies is interesting, but it could be expanded by comparing different methods (soil, foliar, hydroponic) with concrete examples of crops or conditions.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestions. We have added some research on relevant literature regarding selenium application in the rhizosphere and foliar application of selenium in the "Application technology of Se fertilizer" chapter, thus expanding the content of this chapter.
5.Overall, the work has great potential to contribute to the field, but these adjustments would make it more accessible and useful to a broader audience. I encourage you to continue developing this promising approach in agricultural research
Answer: Thank you for your recognition and encouragement.
6.Comments on the Quality of English Language: The manuscript's level of English is adequate for conveying scientific information; however, it contains overly long sentences and complex constructions that may hinder reading fluency. Simplifying sentences and avoiding redundancies would improve the clarity and accessibility of the text, especially for an international audience. This would not compromise scientific rigor and would make the manuscript more understandable for a broader audience.
Answer: Thank you for your encouragement. We have already sent the manuscript for polishing and optimized and simplified the sentences in the article.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsPlease,
See attachment.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Thank you for your patient review of our manuscript. It has been of great help to us. We have already revised the manuscript according to the suggestions you put forward,
1.Line 23. Lowercase of key words Introduction.
Answer: We have corrected the sentences and words in the manuscript.
2.Line 34-35. Which parts of China have the highest heavy metal pollution, what kind of industries cause pollution, and which crops are most sensitive to heavy metal pollution in China?
In the introduction, write more about farmers' problems with heavy metals in cultivated crops, which led you to study this topic.
Answer: We have supplemented the Introduction section according to your suggestions.
3.The role of Se in plant growth
Since in this chapter you also write about the effect of selenium on quality (reference 18,
accumulation of glucosinolates, soluble sugars), with the addition of several references about
effect on quality (primarily fruits and vegetables), I suggest that the chapter be called The role of Se in plant growth and quality.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestions. We have supplemented the chapter "Application technology of Se fertilizer" with the impacts of different selenium application methods on the nutritional quality of crops.
4.Line 148. Red colour in text! Line 282. Red colour in text!
Answer: Thank you for your corrections. We have already corrected the font format of the manuscript.
5.Line 150. Figure 2. Too long description below the chart. Try to shorten the description or put the description in the text, and refer to the chart in the text.
Line 284. Figure 2. Too long description below the chart. Try to shorten the description or put the description in the text, and refer to the chart in the text.
Line 389. Figure 3. Too long description below the chart. Try to shorten the description or put the description in the text, and refer to the chart in the text.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestions. We have already streamlined the description content of the charts and figures, added part of it to the text, and made citations.
6.Line 265. Put a comma in the bracket after the ion.
Answer: Thank you for your corrections. We have already corrected the punctuation marks in the manuscript.
7.Line 461. Write full name of species, non only genus.
Answer: Thank you for your corrections. We have already supplemented the full name of this species according to the reference literature.
Line 500. What types of plant protection strategies? Be more precise.
Answer: We have already modified the expression of this sentence to make it more precise.
Line 519. Foliar application. Line 522. Foliar application. Line 525. Foliar application.
Line 529. Foliar application. Line 531. Foliar application.
Answer: We have already made professional modifications to the expression of this part.
Line 537. Name exactly what the forms are?
Answer: We have already made modifications to this part of the content.
Line 539. References 86 is about wheat and foliar application, not hydroponic system.
Answer: We have already proofread and checked the citations of the references.
Line 549. Which quality parameters?
Answer: We have added quality parameters according to your suggestions.
Lines 552-554. In which cultivated crops can seed characteristics pose a problem for selenium absorption? Cite authors.
Answer: We have already made modifications to this part of the content.
Lines 554-556. Cite authors who had a problem with seed damage, a negative impact on germination and seedling quality.
Answer: We have already added relevant research on the toxic effects of high concentrations of selenium on crops in the "Existing problems and challenges" section.
Line 582. Word or symbol of heavy metals. Choose.
Answer: We have already checked and proofread the expressions in the manuscript to make them consistent.
Conclusion. The conclusions are written in accordance with the presented arguments and fully correspond to the thematic title.
Answer: Thank you for your recognition and encouragement.
Literature. You mostly used literature that is several years old. Older literature should also be
introduced to see how researchers have previously looked at the effect of selenium in alleviating heavy metal stress in plant crops.
Answer: We have added some references according to your suggestions.
Line 879. In text (Line 460) you wrote Yao et al.
Answer: We have already proofread the authors of the references.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsI wish to thank the authors for this interesting manuscript. However, I have some critical comments, please, find them below:
1. Please, pass the manuscript to the professor or other senior researchers to correct the biology/scientific part.
2. Please, re-write the entire manuscript based on the obtained comments. It is crucial to remove information related to the animal systems.
3. Also, this manuscript would greatly benefit from professional language editing.
4. The material is presented in an extremely simplified way. Genes listed in the tables should be properly discussed in the text. Figures should reflect and sum up molecular pathways associated with discussed genes.
Author Response
Thank you for your patience and review of our article, which was very helpful to us. We have made revisions to the entire text according to your suggestions,
- Please, pass the manuscript to the professor or other senior researchers to correct the biology/scientific part.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestions. Our manuscript has already been proofread by our own researchers.
- Please, re-write the entire manuscript based on the obtained comments. It is crucial to remove information related to the animal systems.
Answer: Thanks. We have already made some modifications to parts of the manuscript.
- Also, this manuscript would greatly benefit from professional language editing.
Answer: Thank you. We have already handed the manuscript over to professional language editors for modification.
- The material is presented in an extremely simplified way. Genes listed in the tables should be properly discussed in the text. Figures should reflect and sum up molecular pathways associated with discussed genes.
Answer: Thank you. We have already cited the figures in the tables at appropriate positions in the text and added discussions about genes.
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis manuscript offers a detailed and insightful review of how selenium (Se) can help mitigate heavy metal stress in crops, exploring both its physiological and molecular mechanisms as well as its practical applications for sustainable agriculture. The authors have done an excellent job of highlighting the potential of Se to enhance crop resilience and quality while addressing pressing environmental challenges. I want to thank the authors for thoughtfully incorporating the suggested improvements, which have made the manuscript even stronger.
That said, a second look at the English could further improve the style and fluency, making the text flow more naturally and smoothly. Enhancing the clarity of the explanations for figures and tables and integrating them more seamlessly into the narrative would also help make the manuscript even easier to follow for readers.
Author Response
Comments: This manuscript offers a detailed and insightful review of how selenium (Se) can help mitigate heavy metal stress in crops, exploring both its physiological and molecular mechanisms as well as its practical applications for sustainable agriculture. The authors have done an excellent job of highlighting the potential of Se to enhance crop resilience and quality while addressing pressing environmental challenges. I want to thank the authors for thoughtfully incorporating the suggested improvements, which have made the manuscript even stronger.
That said, a second look at the English could further improve the style and fluency, making the text flow more naturally and smoothly. Enhancing the clarity of the explanations for figures and tables and integrating them more seamlessly into the narrative would also help make the manuscript even easier to follow for readers.
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. We have made adjustments to the entire manuscript, classified and integrated physiological and molecular mechanisms, and removed some redundant descriptions. We moved Figure 1 to the abstract picture and adjusted the position of other images. In terms of language, we submitted the entire manuscript to MDPI Quick English Editor for English proofreading and uploaded instructions for the proofreading.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsUnfortunately, I see no improvements. My comments are the same:
1. Please, pass the manuscript to the professor or other senior researchers to correct the biology/scientific part.
2. Please, re-write the entire manuscript based on the obtained comments. It is crucial to remove information related to the animal systems.
3. Also, this manuscript would greatly benefit from professional language editing.
4. The material is presented in an extremely simplified way. Genes listed in the tables should be properly discussed in the text. Figures should reflect and sum up molecular pathways associated with discussed genes.
Author Response
Comments1. Please, pass the manuscript to the professor or other senior researchers to correct the biology/scientific part.
Response1: Thank you for your suggestion. Professor Xu Feng has been asked to review and revise the scientific discussion and biology sections, and adjustments have been made to the second and fifth parts of the manuscript.
Comments2. Please, re-write the entire manuscript based on the obtained comments. It is crucial to remove information related to the animal systems.
Response2: Thank you! We have made adjustments to the content of the entire manuscript, categorizing and integrating physiological and molecular mechanisms, and removing some redundant descriptions. Please refer to the article revision for details.
Comments 3. Also, this manuscript would greatly benefit from professional language editing.
Response3: The manuscript has been submitted to MDPI Quick English Editor for proofreading and modification. Please refer to the proof of modification for English proofreading.
Comments 4. The material is presented in an extremely simplified way. Genes listed in the tables should be properly discussed in the text. Figures should reflect and sum up molecular pathways associated with discussed genes.
Response4: Thanks. We have added descriptions of gene names and expressions in the section where the three images are located. Considering the length of the article, other parts of the genes are presented in the form of tables and images. In addition, considering that Figure 1 was mainly an overview of the entire review, we have moved it to the homepage as the abstract picture.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
