TMV: Life Cycle, Symptoms and Control Measures: By-Dr. Ekta Khare

TMV: Life cycle, symptoms and
control measures
By- Dr. Ekta Khare
Department of Microbiology,
Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur
TMV
• TMV was the first virus to be discovered over a century ago and
was the first virus ever purified.
• In 1889, Martinus Beijerinck, found that ‘tobacco mosaic
disease’ was caused by a pathogen able to reproduce and
multiply in the host cells of the plant.
• He called it ‘virus’ (from the Latin virus, meaning poison) to
differentiate this form of disease from those caused by bacteria.
• Tobacco yield losses due to TMV are currently estimated at only
1%, because resistant tobacco varieties are routinely grown.
• However, TMV affects other crops, and losses of up to 20% have
been reported in tomatoes.
TMV
• TMV is made up of a piece of nucleic acid (ribonucleic acid;
RNA) and a surrounding protein coat.
• The complete virus is a submicroscopic, rigid, rod-shaped
particle.
• Once inside the plant cell, the protein coat falls away and
nucleic acid portion directs the plant cell to produce more
virus nucleic acid and virus protein, disrupting the normal
activity of the cell.
• TMV can multiply only inside a living cell but it can survive
in a dormant state in dead tissue, retaining its ability to
infect growing plants for years after the infected plant part
died.
• Most other viruses die when the plant tissue dies.
Transmission
• TMV is usually spread from plant to plant via ‘mechanical’ wounds caused by
contaminated hands, clothing or tools such as pruning shears and hoes.
• This is because TMV occurs in very high concentrations in most plant cells.
• When plants are handled, the tiny leaf hairs and some outer cells are inevitably
damaged and leak sap onto hands, tools and clothing.
• Seeds from infected plants can also carry the virus on their seed coats.
• The earlier the age at which the mother plant is infected, the more likely it is
that the virus will contaminate the seed coat during seed harvesting.
• When the seed germinates, the virus may enter the seedling through small
cuts caused by transplanting and handling, or during the
germination/emergence process.
• Once inside the plant, the virus releases its genetic code (RNA). The plant
mistakes this for its own RNA, and starts to produce viral proteins.
• The virus then spreads to neighbouring cells through microscopic channels in
the cell walls (plasmodesmata), and eventually enters the translocation system
of the plant (xylem and phloem).
• From here, it spreads to the entire plant.
Molecular mechanism
• Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) encodes four known functional proteins: the 126 and
183 kDa replication-associated proteins, the movement protein (MP), and the
structural capsid or coat protein (CP).
• In order to have a successful infection, these four multifunctional proteins
cooperate with many host components.
• The host membrane and cytoskeleton are sub-cellular structures important for
TMV infection. TMV-induced granules or inclusion bodies that contain membranes
also contain host proteins.
• Tobacco mosaic virus enters plant cells only through mechanical wounds which
either transiently open the plasma membrane or allow pinocytosis.
• TMV begins to disassemble within 3 min after entry and disassembly of CP from
the capsid is associated with translation of viral RNA.
• TMV RNA is released from the capsid at the site of viral RNA (vRNA) granule
formation.
• The granules are associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which may serve
as the replication site on transport of the vRNA to cortical vertices or perinuclear
regions of the ER.
• Transport to these locations requires microfilaments (MF).
• Other membranes such as the vacuolar (V) membrane may serve as
a scaffold for virus replication, but this requires further analysis.
• A virus replication complex (VRC) is formed in the cortical vertices
or perinuclear region of the ER.
• VRCs contain vRNA, movement protein (MP), replication proteins
and host proteins.
• For TMV intercellular movement, VRCs move from sites of
replication to plasmodesmata (PD).
• vRNA transports through PD within a VRC or simply with vRNA and
MP, the latter being phosphorylated (MPP) in the PD to release the
vRNA for translation in the next cell.
• After vRNA transfer to the neighboring cell, VRC remnants associate
with endosomes for transport to vacuoles.
• Transport is proposed to involve the actomyosin network.
• Likely prior to this transport, CELL-DIVISION CYCLE protein48
(CDC48) extracts the MP from the ER-associated VRC for
attachment to the MT and later degradation (m).
Signs and symptoms
• Symptoms first appear about 10 days after infection.
• The plants do not usually die, but growth can be seriously
stunted.
• In the case of tomatoes, certain TMV strains can cause
deformed fruit, non-uniform fruit colour and delay ripening.
• Specific symptoms depend on the host plant, age of the
infected plant, environmental conditions, the virus strain and
the genetic background of the host plant.
• However, common signs include:
– mosaic-like patches (mottling) on the leaves,
– curling of leaves and
– the yellowing of plant tissues.
Managing the virus
• No chemicals can cure a plant infected with a virus, and TMV is no exception.
• As mentioned before, however, resistant plant varieties are available.
• Ultimately, effective TMV management involves using virus-free seedlings or plants
and implementing strict hygiene procedures:
• Use new potting mix and new or thoroughly cleaned seedling trays when growing
seedlings;
• Remove and destroy the plants and restrict access to the area, or always work in
the affected area last and decontaminate yourself and your equipment afterwards;
• Remove all crop debris from the land, seedling production beds and benches in
greenhouses;
• Place tools in a disinfectant solution for at least 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly
with tap water;
• Disinfect door handles and other greenhouse structures;
• Thoroughly wash your hands with recommended disinfectants, such as carbolic
soap, or a mixture of non-fat milk powder at 20% weight/vol, 10% bleach, and 70%
ethanol, after handling tobacco products or TMV-infected plants.
• Make sure that the solutions are fresh, and replace regularly.

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