Phytopathology (1996) 86, p. S17 (Dodds et al.)

J.A. Dodds, G.H. Routh, A.L.N. Rao and T.E. Mirkov (1996)
Efficient replication of mutants of satellite Tobacco mosaic virus in Nicotiana protoplasts
Phytopathology 86 (11 suppl.), S17-S17
Abstract: Transcripts from cDNA clones of satellite tobacco mosaic virus (STMV) with mutations in the coat protein open reading frame accumulate in inoculated and systemic leaves of tobacco plants, but only inefficiently and in a condition dependent manner. To determine if this decreased accumulation was due inefficient replication, protoplasts of Nicotiana benthamiana were co-inoculated with tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV) and RNA transcribed from either the parental, or mutant clones of STMV. Nucleic acid extracts taken from these protoplasts were northern blotted and probed for STMV RNA. These mutants, including one lacking nearly all of the coat protein gene, replicated efficiently in protoplasts. This suggests that they do not lack any cis- or trans-acting factors required for replication by the TMV replicase. The low levels of accumulation of these mutants in inoculated and systemic leaves of whole plants is therefore likely to be due to their inability to produce a functional coat protein. This may result in inefficient movement of these mutants. Unencapsidated STMV mutants are also likely to be degraded in whole plants.
Database assignments for author(s): T. Erik Mirkov

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tobacco mosaic virus