Detecting Plant Viruses in Their Vectors

Authors: Roger T Plumb

Publish Date: 1989

Volume: , Issue: , Pages: 191-208

PDF Link

Abstract

Until the advent of such techniques as electron microscopy and serology the principal way of determining whether a suspected virus vector contained a plantinfecting virus was to allow it access to a plant host known to be susceptible to the virus In other words a bioassay of the vector for the appropriate virus was performed An alternative approach was to use extracts of whole suspected vectors to inoculate susceptible test species mechanically The latter method was obviously of limited use and its usefulness was greatly affected by low virus concentrations in potential vectors and inactivation of virus in vector extracts

Keywords: