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THE PREPARATION AND USE OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS CONTAINING RADIOACTIVE PHOSPHORUS
1Department of Animal and Plant Pathology of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, Princeton, New Jersey.
The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
Summary
Radioactive phosphorus was used to trace tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in plants. Diseased plants incorporated 30% of absorbed phosphorus into TMV, but its replication remained unclear.
Area of Science:
- Plant pathology
- Virology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is a significant plant pathogen.
- Understanding viral replication is crucial for disease management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution and incorporation of radioactive phosphorus in TMV-infected tobacco plants.
- To explore the potential role of phosphorus in TMV replication.
Main Methods:
- Growing normal and TMV-diseased Turkish tobacco plants in radioactive nutrient solutions.
- Isolating and analyzing various plant fractions, including purified TMV, for radioactive phosphorus.
- Inoculating healthy plants with radioactive TMV and tracking its distribution.
Main Results:
- Diseased plants incorporated approximately 30% of absorbed radioactive phosphorus into purified TMV.
- Inoculation of healthy plants with radioactive TMV showed radioactivity primarily in non-virus components.
- A small amount of radioactive TMV was detected in uninoculated plant parts.
Conclusions:
- Radioactive phosphorus is readily incorporated into TMV within infected plants.
- The study could not definitively conclude on the mode of TMV reproduction due to complicating factors.
