Molecular Plant Pathology - Pathogen Profiles
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Tomato spotted wilt virus - positive steps towards
negative success
Scott Adkins
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service,
US Horticultural Research Laboratory, 2001 S. Rock Rd., Ft. Pierce, FL
34945, USA
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| Taxonomy: |
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is the type member of the
plant-infecting Tospovirus genus in the family Bunyaviridae, a
large group of predominantly vertebrate- and insect-infecting RNA
viruses. |
| Physical properties: |
Virions are 80–120-nm pleomorphic particles with surface
projections composed of two viral glyco-proteins, G1 and G2 (Fig. 1).
Virion composition is 5% nucleic acid, 70% protein, 5% carbohydrate and
20% lipid. The genome consists of three negative or ambisense ssRNAs
designated S (2.9 kb), M (4.8 kb) and L (8.9 kb), with partially
comple-mentary terminal sequences that allow the RNA to adopt a
pseudocircular or panhandle conformation. Each genomic RNA is encapsidated
by multiple copies of the viral nucleocapsid (N) protein to form
ribonucleoprotein structures also known as nucleocapsids. The
nucleocapsids are enclosed in a host-derived membrane bilayer along with
an estimated 10–20 copies of the L protein, the putative RNA-dependent
RNA polymerase. |
| Hosts: |
Over 800 plant species, both dicots and monocots, in more
than 80 plant families are susceptible to TSWV (Goldbach and Peters,
1994). The Solanaceae and Compositae families contain the largest numbers
of susceptible plant species (Prins and Kormelink, 1998). TSWV also
replicates in its insect vector, thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) (Ullman
et al., 1993; Wijkamp et al., 1993). |
| Useful web site: |
http://www4.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/11050003.htm |
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 Transmission
electron micrograph of isolated TSWV virions. Unfixed virion preparation
stained with 1% (w/v) methylamine tungstate.
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