What Can Boron Deficiency Symptoms Tell Us about Its Function and Regulation?

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This review is well organized and comprehensively described. The authors have done a great job describing the data on boron deficiency in order to understand its function and regulation.

The authors propose a unifying model integrating the current knowledge about B function(s) in plants to explain why B deficiency can cause such remarkable effects on plant growth and development, impacting crop productivity. I like the way they present their ideas and I believe that this review should be published.

The only minor downside is that this manuscript has only one Figure. I think that the quality of this review will improve significantly if the authors find a way to present some of the text in the form of tables or figures that provide a visual interface for the reader and may provide a superior way to discuss their ideas.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your report.

Following your suggestion, we will include a Table summarizing boron complexing molecules and its related functions.

Thanks again

Best regards

Dear Rev,

As previously informed, following your suggestion a Table has been included in the revised Ms (l. 435)

Reviewer 2 Report

This paper is an exhaustive overview of the past hundred years of research into boron's behavior and necessity in plant metabolism.  It does not present new research, but proposes a new theory based on widely divergent measurement techniques for boron-related issues.

I do have minor issues with a few things. 

Line 57, 'dawn of the boron story' is not a technical term.

Line 59, nor is 'never-ending story.'

Line 335-336, place change "B-deficient distubs" to "B-deficiency disturbs."

line 652, "stimuli proposed by Kobayashi et al [72], being surely true, might..."  The part in italics should be deleted, "being surely true" is hardly compatible with "proposed" and "might."

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you very much for your report.

We will follow your suggestions and will make the proposed changes

Thanks again

Dear Reviewer,

As previously informed, all of your suggestions have been attended in the revised Ms.

Thanks again

Best regards