Alleviation of Cadmium and Nickel Toxicity and Phyto-Stimulation of Tomato Plant L. by Endophytic Micrococcus luteus and Enterobacter cloacae

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Congratulations to the authors.

A very good work indeed.

However, however I have some comments for revision.

Comment 1: Fig 10: Heatmap, can these be labelled in the figure instead of writing about it in the legend. This will be easier for the readers to tally.

Comment 2: Can a PCA analysis be performed combining all the features? This will separate out the most important changes which might help in bringing out which pathway is being targeted.

Comment 3: Authors have done a fantastic job, isolated the strain and studied them in either Ni or Cd. Can the authors provide an insight about what will happen when both the strains are combined, since soil might should have both the strains together?

Comment 4: Can the authors comment whether they saw any change in the tomato fruit setting time or longevity of the plant? 

Comment 5: Can the authors provide the increase of the antioxidant enzymes as fold changes. This will increase the impact of these genes when someone is reading the paper. 

Line 15 should be plant's

 

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

Thanks very much for your time and efforts in reviewing our manuscript. We are very grateful and appreciate your comments to improve the quality of the manuscript. We have carefully revised the manuscript according to the reviewer’s comments. Based on the suggestions, we have made extensive modifications to the revised manuscript. We have responded to the reviewers’ comments point by point and change track the revised parts in the manuscript. We wish this version is more suitable and covers all the comments.

However, however I have some comments for revision.

Comment 1: Fig 10: Heatmap, can these be labelled in the figure instead of writing about it in the legend. This will be easier for the readers to tally.

Answer:

Done, we modified it

Comment 2: Can a PCA analysis be performed combining all the features? This will separate out the most important changes which might help in bringing out which pathway is being targeted.

Answer:

Done, we make analysis and added in the manuscript

 

Comment 3: Authors have done a fantastic job, isolated the strain and studied them in either Ni or Cd. Can the authors provide an insight about what will happen when both the strains are combined, since soil might should have both the strains together?

Answer: I have the pleasure to thank you for your detailed review and comments, but concerning your comment of studied them in either Ni or Cd. Can the authors provide an insight about what will happen when both the strains are combined, since soil might should have both the strains together? I hope to accept my apologies concerning this point, but i will consider it in my future research as my project fund is already terminated, and we have not the ability to re-establish a new experiment.

Comment 4: Can the authors comment whether they saw any change in the tomato fruit setting time or longevity of the plant? 

Answer: I have the pleasure to thank you for your detailed review and comments, but concerning your comment of- I have the pleasure to thank you for your detailed review and comments, but concerning your comment of studied them in either Ni or Cd. Can the authors provide an insight about what will happen when both the strains are combined, since soil might should have both the strains together? I hope to accept my apologies concerning this point, but i will consider it in my future research as my project fund is already terminated, and we have not the ability to re-establish a new experiment.

 

Comment 5: Can the authors provide the increase of the antioxidant enzymes as fold changes. This will increase the impact of these genes when someone is reading the paper. 

Answer:

Done, we modified it

 

Line 15 should be plant's

Answer: Done, we modified it

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Paper presents the influence of cadmium and nickel on tomato plants and phytostimulation of selected endophytic bacteria on plants when grown in presence of heavy metals. The manuscript suits well to the Plant journal. The experiment was designed properly, however, the M&M section needs clarification (see attached pdf with comments). Results are well described, together with a nice discussion of the most important findings. I am not sure that part related to the bacteria isolation should be a part of the manuscript, it rather presents material for a separate article, and here only the final isolates (Micrococcus luteus and Enterobacter cloacae) should be used. The decision is up to the Authors/Editors.

The article needs intensive language corrections, at least using common writing internet tools or native speaker.

 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

 

Dear reviewer,

Thanks very much for your time and efforts in reviewing our manuscript. We are very grateful and appreciate your comments to improve the quality of the manuscript. We have carefully revised the manuscript according to the reviewer’s comments. Based on the suggestions, we have made extensive modifications to the revised manuscript. We have responded to the reviewers’ comments point by point and change track the revised parts in the manuscript. We wish this version is more suitable and covers all the comments.

 

 

The article needs intensive language corrections, at least using common writing internet tools or native speaker

Done and the manuscript English language improved by experts in English

Please rephrase this sentence, its not logic

The contamination of heavy metal ions by cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) contaminants is a glob

Done

 

Please calrify here as I got lost: Am I correct - firstly you were applied Ni and Cd to the roots in all plants (do not understand what does it mean irrigation with water to prevent metal accumulation, then you divided plants to 9 gropus? So what is control here? Did you use any plants not irrigated with Cd and Ni?

 

Dear dr

I applied with Endophytic bacteria as soaking while we irrigated with a solution containing Cd or Ni. So yes, we irrigated with tap water as control, which was found in groups T1, T2, T3

 

I am not sure that the part regarding the isolates of bacteria should be part of this manuscript. In my opinion its a dataset ready for another one, makes this paper shorter. But decsion is up tu Authors and Editors

Answer: I have the pleasure to thank you for your detailed review and comments This part is important in this manuscript because,

Since we have isolated 63 types of Endophytic bacteria and have characterized them and the best two isolates were selected in terms of IAA production, root colonization ability, solubilize phosphate, biofilm production,  ACC deaminase, and nitrogen fixation. And then, they were defined by 16S rDNA gene, and then the two isolates were used to reduce the toxicity of cadmium and nickel on the tomato plant, and this is the aim of the research

All required modifications within the manuscript have been modified

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx