This notice corrects a previously published PLOS ONE article that characterized an AGAMOUS-like MADS box protein (MA-MADS5) implicated in flowering and fruit ripening regulatory systems in banana. After publication, readers raised concerns about potential duplication between panels in Figure 6. The corresponding author investigated and acknowledged an error in the panels for Fig 6F. Replacement image panels obtained during the original experiment were supplied, and a corrected Figure 6 has been issued with this notice.
Specifically, panels I–IV in Fig 6F were reported to appear similar to panels I–IV in Fig 6G. The corresponding author confirmed that the panels in Fig 6F were incorrect. To address this, the author provided corrected image panels for 6F that were acquired in the same original experiment as the rest of the figure. The journal has updated the record to include the corrected figure and published the underlying images for the affected panels.
The underlying images for all panels of Figs 6F and 6G have been included with the correction notice as S1 File. S1 File is provided as a ZIP archive containing the original images that underlie the panels in question. The corrected figure is also available for download in PNG (larger image) and TIFF (original) formats via the article page.
The notice states that the original underlying data to support the results in the article and its Supporting Information files are available from the corresponding author, with one exception: the RT-PCR data that supported Fig 9 are no longer available. No other missing datasets are reported in this correction.
Figure 6 presents an analysis of MA-MADS5 protein expression across defined banana fruit regions (zones A–E) from cultivar Giant Governor (Musa sp., AAA group, subgroup Cavendish). The figure contains multiple panels:
Panels b–e: Immunoblot detection of MA-MADS5 in zones A–E at preclimacteric (0 DAH), climacteric (88 DAH), and postclimacteric (92 DAH) stages. Each immunoblot (upper panels) was run with equal loading of small nuclear protein; corresponding lower panels show the loading control. Representative images are from at least three independent experiments for panels b–e.
Panels f and g: Immunolocalization of MA-MADS5 protein in A and B zones in postclimacteric banana pulp tissues (92 DAH). The legends for panels I–IV mirror descriptions provided previously (as described in Figure 5 b–e of the original article). The correction replaces the erroneous panels I–IV in Fig 6F with the proper images obtained in the original experimental set.
The figure caption details that peripheral and central parts of zones C, D and E were included in analyses and reiterates the developmental stages sampled. The corrected figure image is accessible through the correction notice with DOI-linked image files.
The correction notice explicitly reports that, aside from the images provided for Fig 6F and 6G, the original underlying data supporting the article and its Supporting Information are available from the corresponding author. The sole exception noted is the RT-PCR data used to support Fig 9, which are no longer available. The notice does not provide reasons for the unavailability of the RT-PCR dataset and does not indicate additional missing data.
This correction was published in PLOS ONE on September 1, 2026, with DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0357355. The correction lists the same authors as the original article: Swarup Roy Choudhury, Sujit Roy, Anish Nag, Sanjay Kumar Singh, and Dibyendu N. Sengupta. The correction is openly accessible under the journal’s Creative Commons Attribution License.
The correction pertains to: Roy Choudhury S, Roy S, Nag A, Singh SK, Sengupta DN. Characterization of an AGAMOUS-like MADS Box Protein, A Probable Constituent of Flowering and Fruit Ripening Regulatory System in Banana. PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e44361. The correction notice links to the original article and provides supporting material (S1 File) that contains the original images underlying the corrected panels in Figure 6.