Ultrastructure and immunogold labeling of cytoplasmic fibrous bundles in tobacco leaf cells infected with tobacco vein mottling virus
Tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV) is a potyvirus, with flexuous filamentous particles ca. 765 nm long and 12-13 nm in diameter. TVMV is transmitted by sap inoculation and by aphid vectors. Cylindrical inclusions characteristic of infections with potyviruses have been found in the cytoplasm of TVMV-infected tobacco leaves and protoplasts, and the presence of fibrous inclusions of unknown composition in the cytoplasm and nuclei of TVMV-infected tobacco has been reported. Here, we report the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunogold labeling of cytoplasmic fibrous bundles found in TVMV-infected leaf cells, providing evidence that these bundles are composed of TVMV virions and/or coat protein.