Today we’re talking about Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)!
TMV is an elongated, filamentous plant virus carrying an RNA genome (6.5kb). It’s capsid is made up of 2130 molecules of a coat protein. The virus is about 300nm in length and 18nm in diameter.
TMV infects a wide-range of plants, especially tobacco, causing mosaic-like patterns on the leaves. It was first described in 1886 but not identified as a viral pathogen until 1930. Interestingly TMV is a thermostable virus, withstanding temperatures up to 50°C for 30 minutes. TMV moves from cell-to-cell by producing a movement protein called P30, which enlarges the channels between cells.
A common control method for TMV is sanitation, crop rotation, and genetic engineering of the host plant. Another method is by engineering the host plant genome to produce the TMV coat protein to re-coat the TMV genome as quickly as possible to prevent replication. A gene silencing method has also been employed to protect the host. Finally, it has been found that TMV is inhibited by a chemical produced by a slime mold.
Posted on Instagram on April 16, 2021.