Cytopathological changes of different tobacco varieties infected with tomato mottle mosaic virus
Tomato mottle mosaic virus(ToMMV),a member of the genus Tobamovirus,showed stronger pathogenicity than tobacco mosaic virus(TMV)and tomato mosaic virus(ToMV)in most solanaceae crops.To figure out the cytopathological changes of tobacco plants that were infected by ToMMV,we constructed a full-length infectious cDNA clone of ToMMV,and carried out transmission electron microscopy observation.The results showed that the rod-shaped virions of ToMMV were 220-310 nm in length and 16-18 nm in diameter.ToMMV virions were also observed in the seeds of ToMMV-infected Nicotiana tabacum var.Xanthi nc.ToM-MV virions were dispersed or angularly-layered in cytoplasm or vacuoles.Multivesicular bodies,small vesicles,myeloid bodies,mitochondrial cristae were observed to be reduced or disappeared in both N.tabacum var.Xanthi nc and N.rustica infected with ToMMV.In addition,broken chloroplast membranes and large amount of small peripheral vesicles protruding into the disintegrated chloroplasts were observed in the infected N.tabacum var.Xanthi nc showing mosaic and distortion symptoms,while large amount of small vesicles were observed in the cells of infected N.tabacum var.Xanthi nc showing leaf narrowing.However,chloroplasts changes were less frequent in N.rustica with systemic necrosis symptoms.In this study,the construction of ToMMV infectious clone and the observation of cytopathological changes in tobacco plants infected with ToMMV,provided impor-tant bases for the further study of the pathogenesis of ToMMV and its interaction with the host.