Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B Containing Papers of a Biological Character · 1933 · 111 citations · 0 references
Life SciencesBiologyEntomologyPlant VirologyVector-borne DiseasesVirologyDisease Transmission In InsectsPlant Virus TransmissionPlant VirusesViral Diseases Of InsectsVirus-host InteractionsInoculationInsect-associated TransmissionMechanical InoculationVector-borne Plant Disease TransmissionVector-mediated TransmissionVector-plant-virus InteractionsViral Infection ProcessesVirus Diseases
Insect transmission of plant viruses is generally considered non‑mechanical, yet the biological interaction between virus and vector remains poorly understood. The study aims to elucidate how a plant virus behaves within its specific insect vector. The authors mechanically inoculated the maize streak virus into its insect vector, using a single strain maintained through repeated greenhouse transfers to maize seedlings. The virus strain did not split into components during the experiments, suggesting it remains a single entity.
The studies here described aim at the elucidation of the action of a plant virus within the insect that is its specific vector. It is widely held that insect transmission is not normally a mechanical process; but of the nature of the biological relation, into which virus and insect are supposed to enter, little is definitely known. By the use of the method of mechanical inoculation of the virus into the insect I have obtained certain direct evidence bearing upon this problem. The virus studied is that which causes streak disease in the maize plant. A single strain has been used, maintained in the course of my experiments by repeated transfers to maize seedlings in the greenhouse. Conceivably this strain is a complex of viruses, but if so it has shown no sign of splitting into its components during the period of the work now described.