Intracellular Translocation of Some Icosahedral Plant Viruses

Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) and Tomato ringspot virus (TomRV) were compared with regard to possible ways of interand intracellular translocation. The pore complexes in the nuclear membranes of nuclei in leaf palisade and mesophyll cells of several plant species commonly used in plant virus research were studied. The pore structure resembled that earlier described. The diameter of the pores was great enough to allow icosahedral plant viruses between 25 and 30 miu wide to move through. SBMV occurred in noncrystalline form in nuclei of infected cells. Although this virus forms paracrystalline structures when partially purified, no virus crystals were seen in the cytoplasm of cells containing high concentrations of SBMV. It was established that this virus could move through nuclear pores. TomRV was found in infected leaf tissue in low concentrations. This virus showed a tendency to crystallize even when present in low concentrations. TomRV was observed only in the cytoplasm, not in nuclei. This virus was present in plasmodesmata, indicating the possibility of cell to cell translocation of whole particles through these structures.