Tobacco mosaic virus

Host: Nicotiana tabaccum (Solanaceous)

It infects members of nine plant families, and at least 125 individual species, including tobacco, tomato,
pepper (all members of the useful Solanaceae). It also infects cucumbers, and a number of ornamental
flowers.
Disease: It cause Mosaic disease on Tobacco leaf.
Infection : TMV infects a tobacco plant and remain in cell sap. The virus enters mechanically i.e. through
a ruptured plant cell wall. It replicates. After its multiplication, it enters the neighboring cells through
plasmodesmata.

Structure of TMV:
Tobacco mosaic virus has a rod-like appearance and made up of protein (capsid) and ssRNA.
Capsid: Its capsid is made from 2130 molecules of coat protein.. The protein monomer consists of 158
amino acids. The coat protein self-assembles into the rod-like helical structure (16.3 proteins per helix
turn) around the RNA
RNA: It has one molecule of RNA of 6.4 kb long. RNA is present within the helical structure. It is
protected from the action of cellular enzymes by the coat protein.
Replication
The TMV RNA encode several proteins, including the coat protein. It also has codes for an RNAdependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) which replicates its own genome.
The coat protein and RNA genome of TMV are spontaneously assembled into complete TMV virions in a
highly organized process.
1. The protomers (capsomere) come together to form disks. This disc is composed of two layers of
protomers arranged in a helical spiral. The helical capsid grows by the addition of protomers to
the end of the rod.
2. As the rod lengthens, the RNA passes through a channel in its center. It forms a loop at the
growing end. In this way the RNA can easily fit as a spiral into the interior of the helical capsid.
Symptoms of disease
1. The first symptom of this virus disease is a light green coloration between the veins of young
leaves.
2. This is followed quickly by the development of a mosaic or mottled pattern of light and dark
green areas in the leaves. These symptoms develop quickly. These are more prominent on
younger leaves.
3. Mosaic does not cause death of plant. But if infection occurs early in the season, plants are
stunted.
4. Infected leaves may be crinkled or elongated as lower leaves are subjected to mosaic
burn especially during periods of hot and dry weather. This is the most destructive phases of
tobacco mosaic virus infection.
Treatment and management:

One of the common control methods for TMV is sanitation, which includes removing infected
plants, and washing hands in between each planting.

Crop rotation should also be employed to avoid infected soil/seed beds for at least two years.

Bacteriophage
(A bacteriophage is a virus that infects and replicates within a bacterium)

Host: Bacteria e.g. E. coli

Structure of Bacteriophage:
Bacteriophage is composed of proteins that encapsulate a DNA or RNA genome.
1. It have a head, neck and collar, tail and end plate, tail fiber
2. Head is made up of proteins and icosahedron that has very tightly packed DNA.
3. Tail: tail consists of priteins and forms a helical component.
4. The head is connected to the tail by a neck that is composed of four to five proteins.

5. An end plate with lysozyme activity and pins at the base of the tail contain several
different proteins.
6. Tail fibers used to recognize receptor proteins on the surface of the bacterial cell
consist of numerous additional proteins.

Life cycle of the bacteriophage:

Life cycle of the bacteriophage bacteriophage may have the following two types of life
cycles.
i) Lytic cycle- in which viral infection is followed by lysis (bursting and death) of the host cell
and release of new infective phages. Phages with lytic cycle are known as virulent phage e.g.,
virulent phage such as T4 and other T even coliphages.
ii) Lysogenic cycle- in this type infectious rarely causes lysis or causes delayed lysis e.g-P1 and
lambda phages. A virus with lysogenic cycle called temperate virus. In lysogenic phage cycle
integration of viral genome into bacterial genome is often termed as prophage or provirus.

Rod-shaped bacterial cell

PM = plasma membrane
CW = cell wall

R = ribosome
N = nucleoid

M = mesosome

PHB = inclusion body

Identifications points of rode shaped bacteria:

Prokaryotes organisms
1. Habitat They are found everywhere in hot springs, under ice, in deep ocean floor,
in deserts and on or inside the body of plants and animals.
2. They are unicellular organisms having variable shape such as rode, spiral, rounded etc
3. Cell structure of rode shape bacteria:
a) Membrane bound nucleus is absent. DNA is in double stranded form, suspended in
the cytoplasm of the organism, referred as nucleoid.
b) A rigid cell wall and plasma membrane (hopanoid) is present.
c) Membrane bound cellular organelles like mitochondria are absent.
d) Mesosomes- invaginations of the plasma membrane in form of tubules, vesicles or
lamella. It might play roel in cell wall formation, respiration and cell division
e) Ribosomes - site of cellular protein synthesis are cytosolic in nature and - 70S type
f) Inclusion bodies - intracellular granules of organic or inorganic materials. They
storage of important molecules or cell components, such as: The
polysaccharide glycogen - stainable with iodine, Gas (e.g. hydrogen gas-containing
vesicles), Polyphosphate or volutin, cyanophycin bodies (large polypeptides made up
from arginine and aspartic acid), etc.