Identification, Interaction, Expression, and Function of QTLs on Leaf Numbers with Single-Segment Substitution Lines in Rice
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The authors did study the identification, interaction, expression and function of QTLs on leaf numbers with single-segment substitution lines in rice and mapped QTL
The following are my comments
Page 2. Line 34 to 45. Based on this method, It is not clear how you can able to verify the background is purely the segments of those five codes in Huajingxian 74 (HJX74), I think you need to briefly describe the methods used in the development of SSLs. You mentioned previous studies but still, you need to give some brief details of population development.
Figure 2.2, what is “end” means in chromosome Chr.3?
Page 3 Line 3> “estimation of additive effect or dominant effect”. How is this population appropriate to estimate the dominant effect accurately? I assume the background is pure of the other exogenous line except for introgressed segments.
Page 3 Line 24 “The averages of leaf numbers in each plot for the nine stages were used as 24 input data for the subsequent analysis.” This can be a simplistic analysis to average all like this. I assume you have a high environmental error for location/year across all experiments. You can use models such as least square means o adjusts for the errors caused by the environment instead of averaging them all.
Page 34 Line 31, Figure 2 is not clear and fuzzy, probably not copied right from the original figure and needs to be clear
Author Response
For reviewer 1
Page 2. Line 34 to 45. Based on this method, It is not clear how you can able to verify the background is purely the segments of those five codes in Huajingxian 74 (HJX74), I think you need to briefly describe the methods used in the development of SSLs. You mentioned previous studies but still, you need to give some brief details of population development.
With the markers, the foreground selections of donors and the background selections of HJX74 were performed in order to ensure that the single fragment is unique.
Figure 2.2, what is “end” means in chromosome Chr.3?
We can’t find Figure 2.2. The “end” in chr.3 in Figure 1 indicated the end of chromosome 3 measured by us.
Page 3 Line 3> “estimation of additive effect or dominant effect”. How is this population appropriate to estimate the dominant effect accurately? I assume the background is pure of the other exogenous line except for introgressed segments.
Yes, these SSSLs were homozygote, so only additive effects were estimated. However, dominant effects could be estimated also by the same formula when the SSSLs were heterozygotes.
Page 3 Line 24 “The averages of leaf numbers in each plot for the nine stages were used as 24 input data for the subsequent analysis.” This can be a simplistic analysis to average all like this. I assume you have a high environmental error for location/year across all experiments. You can use models such as least square means o adjusts for the errors caused by the environment instead of averaging them all.
It means the analysis unit for data is the plot rather than individual.
Page 34 Line 31, Figure 2 is not clear and fuzzy, probably not copied right from the original figure and needs to be clear
Figure 2 just was a tendency chart since there were too more genotypes.
Reviewer 2 Report
I am interested in the results of the study entitled ‘Identification, interaction, expression and function of QTLs on leaf numbers with single segment substitution lines in rice.’ I inform you that it can be printed for the following reasons.
The fact that the gene related to the number of leaves in rice was mapped with QTL and the related gene was identified is very groundbreaking. In addition, 7 pairs of QTLs interact with each other through 3 or 4 epistatic components to produce opposite effects to single genes, and 5 QTLs are detected within 14 days, from 28 to 42 days, and from 49 to 63 days after transplantation. It seems that the results showing the effect in three stages can be used as good basic data for genetic breeding.
Author Response
Thanks very much!
Reviewer 3 Report
The authors studied the Identification, interaction, expression, and function of QTLs on leaf numbers with single-segment substitution lines in rice. They identified five QTLs associated with leaf numbers using single-segment substitution lines. The information will be helpful to understand the genetic mechanism for developmental traits. The authors showed great work.
I have found some comments on the manuscript:
-The abstract must be supported with more results
- It 39 genotypic materials was enough to get QTL?
- In the abstract, you mentioned three stages (within days, from 28 days to 42 days, and from 49 days to 63 days after transplanting) but in material and methods and results were nine, which must be correct.
-The conclusions must be supported with more results.
Author Response
-The abstract must be supported with more results
Maybe. We checked it again, and a few changes were made.
- It 39 genotypic materials was enough to get QTL?
Only were five QTLs analyzed.Via pyramiding of double QTLs, there were a total numbers of 39 genotypes.
- In the abstract, you mentioned three stages (within days, from 28 days to 42 days, and from 49 days to 63 days after transplanting) but in material and methods and results were nine, which must be correct.
The leaf numbers were investigated on the 7th day after transplanting, and repeating every 7 days.A total of nine stages were recorded. So one stage equaled to seven days.
-The conclusions must be supported with more results.
Yes. Our previous results supported the conclusions in this paper. We are conducting more researches to seek more supports.