The beginning of research on insect viruses is marked by the discovery and description of polyhedral bodies in the silkworm by Maestri (1856) and Cornalia (1856) just 100 years ago. Since then reports of several hundred investigations that deal with insect viruses have been published. Many fundamental results were obtained before 1900 and since then several important investigations have been carried out in Europe, America, and Japan. A great stimulus to this field was given by the development of new research tools and the progress in plant virology in the late 30’s. Several books1, reviews2, and reference collections3 cover the subject well to about 1950. Therefore in the following only the most important contributions of the past will be referred to or those which were not mentioned before4. It is not intended to describe the diseases and viruses of all host species but rather to discuss the principles of the virus itself and the problems of its relationship to the host.

Effect of heat on ability of cicadula sexnotata (fall.) to transmit aster yellows

Viruses of Insects

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the Mycoplasma diseases of plants and insects. It discusses the nomenclature and classification of the order Mycoplasmatales. The nonviral nature of the numerous graft-transmissible, arthropod-borne disease agents of plants is established. Electron microscopy reveals the characteristic morphology of the presumptive micro-organisms observed in diseased phloem cells and in various vectors, but absent from healthy phloem or from non-infected vectors. Plants can recover from yellows-type diseases when treated with sulfa drugs that definitely do not affect mycoplasmas, and they sometimes recover when treated solely with fertilizers. The chapter discusses on only specific criteria, accepted by microbiologists, should be used in the determination of the actual etiology of the presumptive mycoplasma diseases. These criteria require the cultivation of the isolated agents on solid media with the production of mycoplasma colonies, the reinoculation of susceptible healthy plants with the cultured mycoplasmas, and the subsequent reproduction of the original disease.

Effect of heat on ability of cicadula sexnotata (fall.) to transmit aster yellows

Citations

Viruses of Insects

Mycoplasma diseases of plants and insects.

Division of microbiology: structures resembling mycoplasma in diseased plants and in insect vectors*

9 – vector transmission of mycoplasmal agents of plant diseases

A plant virus lethal to its insect vector

References

Studies on aster yellows

Related Papers (5)

Studies on aster yellows

A plant virus that multiplies in its insect vector.

Heat cure of aster yellows in periwinkles

Cross protection between strains of yellows-type viruses.

Mycoplasma- or PLT Group-like Microorganisms Found in the Phloem Elements of Plants Infected with Mulberry Dwarf, Potato Witches' Broom, Aster Yellows, or Paulownia Witches' Broom