Dear Dr. Dossa,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

==============================

ACADEMIC EDITOR:

Dear Dr. Dossa, thank you for submitting your manuscript for consideration in Plos One. I have received the reviewers' comments on your work.

Please review your manuscript point by point and provide an updated version of your work.

==============================

Please submit your revised manuscript by Dec 01 2024 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Ph.D

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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We recommend that you contact the original copyright holder with the Content Permission Form (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/file?id=7c09/content-permission-form.pdf) and the following text:

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Please upload the completed Content Permission Form or other proof of granted permissions as an ""Other"" file with your submission.

In the figure caption of the copyrighted figure, please include the following text: “Reprinted from [ref] under a CC BY license, with permission from [name of publisher], original copyright [original copyright year].”

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Partly

**********

2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

**********

3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

**********

4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

**********

Reviewer #1: This work would be more complete if you have incorporated data on those important traits you mentioned in the manuscript. After all, genetic diversity is relevant to breeders and conservationists. For breeder the molecular diversity has to be supported by morphological data where he can see if the diversity is functional and because of certain traits (past artificial or natural selection). Otherwise if the diversity is mainly because of SNPs that have no agronomic importance, it will have no use for the breeder. Hence I strongly recommend to incorporate data on a few traits and see after doing PCA or NJ-tree to see if those traits are determinants of population structure and differentiation.

Reviewer #2: Dears …

The genetic diversity of Mesosphaerum Suaveolens was examined by the researchers using molecular markers. There is scant fresh information pertaining to the subject of this investigation. Further calculations of parameters are required. The following adjustments are necessary:

Abstract

� More scored data should be inserted

� The researchers should be performed the unique bands and diversity index

� The sentences regarding the conclusion and future prospects should be incorporated by the authors at the conclusion of the abstract.

Keywords

� The terminology in the title should not be utilized as keywords. This requires a change to the keyword framework.

Introduction

� It is better to use the recent references

� Detailed information regarding the genetic diversity and its varieties should be included.

� Detailed information regarding the genetic diversity methods should be included

� It would be beneficial to include a few lines regarding the plant species' beneficial applications.

� Why did the researchers select this plant species?

� More information about the used markers should be stated

� The hypothesis is inaccurately articulated. The authors ought to incorporate a brief section delineating the knowledge gaps they sought to address in their research.

� Furthermore, authors must provide a statement emphasizing the uniqueness of their findings in the conclusion.

� What novel research-related connections or activities have the authors identified in this study that were absent in prior studies?

� It is imperative to address both the general and specific objectives.

Materials and Methods

� A map showing the samples collection should be included

� The voucher number of this plant species should be provided

� It is necessary to provide the entire name of each acronym.

� References must be provided to substantiate each technique.

� The researchers should be performed the unique bands, genetic and diversity index for each marker and population

� The manufacture name of all materials should be added

� The data analysis section should be located at the end of MM

Results and discussion

� All captions should be improved.

� It is necessary to include definitions for all abbreviations in the captions of tables and figures.

� Creating a PCA plot should be provided

� The dendrogram should be annotated with the number of clusters.

� What are the criteria used to determine the number of clusters?

� The discourse lacked conviction. The commentary is insufficient and necessitates updating, as most phrases reiterate the findings instead of offering a critical examination of the data. The authors must elucidate the importance of the findings from each study in connection to their own research. The authors are accountable for elucidating the findings about the diversity index, clustering, PIC, and He. The authors ought to elucidate the disparity in the accumulation of bioactive across various areas.

Conclusion

� The researchers ought to provide a concise summary of the most significant findings, as this section is presented in an easily understandable format. Future research should incorporate additional investigation on this subject.

Best regards

**********

what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

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Reviewer #1: Yes:  Wosene G. Abtew

Reviewer #2: Yes:  Nawroz Tahir

**********

[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org . Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step.

Dear Dr. DOSSA,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

==============================

ACADEMIC EDITOR:

Dear Dr. Dossa, I have received the reviewers' comments on your manuscript and have made a decision.

I suggest major revision, carefully review each issue raised by the reviewers and return with a revised version of your manuscript.

==============================

Please submit your revised manuscript by May 28 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

• A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'.
• A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'.
• An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'.

If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter.

If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols . Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols .

We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Ph.D

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

Reviewer #2: (No Response)

Reviewer #3: (No Response)

**********

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions??>

Reviewer #2: Partly

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #2: No

Reviewer #3: No

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: No

**********

Reviewer #2: Dear Authors

The following points should be modified

1. too many references under 2020 are used in this manuscript. Please minimize the number of references and the authors should use the recent references

2. The conclusion is too long and should be summarized

3. The discussion needs an improvement

Reviewer #3: The results will inform the breeding and conservation of the species, so it has scientific merit. The data analysis is also okay. However, the introduction needs to be re-written for clarity and flow. The entire manuscript needs to be re-read and edited to minimize grammatical errors.

**********

what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #2: Yes:  Nawroz Tahir

Reviewer #3: No

**********

[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org . Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step.

Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: PLOS review_ Mesosphaerum.docx

Dear Dr. DOSSA,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

Please submit your revised manuscript by Sep 03 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

• A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'.
• A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'.
• An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'.

If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols . Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols .

We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Ph.D

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Journal Requirements:

If the reviewer comments include a recommendation to cite specific previously published works, please review and evaluate these publications to determine whether they are relevant and should be cited. There is no requirement to cite these works unless the editor has indicated otherwise. 

Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice.

Additional Editor Comments (if provided):

Dear authors, I have received the necessary revisions of your manuscript, please review each question point by point and send a revised version of your manuscript.

Best regards

Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira Ph.D.

Academic Editor

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

Reviewer #3: (No Response)

**********

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions??>

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

Reviewer #3: The manuscript has greatly improved. All the issues raised previously have been attended to. A few minor comments have been added.

**********

what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #3: No

**********

[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org

SNP markers revealed the genetic diversity and population structure of Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze Syn. Hyptis suaveolens  (L.) Poit accessions collected in Benin

PONE-D-24-37428R3

Dear Dr. Dossa,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org.

Kind regards,

Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Ph.D

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments: