VIEW ARTICLE

Cytology and Histology

Light Microscopy of Geminivirus-Induced Nuclear Inclusion Bodies. R. G. Christie, Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611; N.-J. Ko(2), B. W. Falk(3), E. Hiebert(4), R. Lastra(5), J. Bird(6), and K. S. Kim(7). (2)(4)Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611; (3)University of Florida, Everglades Research and Education Center, Belle Glade 33430; (5)Laboratorio de Virus de Plantas, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado 1827, Caracas, Venezuela; (6)University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, 00928; (7)Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701. Phytopathology 76:124-126. Accepted for publication 9 August 1985. Copyright 1986 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-76-124.

Plant tissues infected by five presumed distinct geminiviruses (bean golden mosaic, lima bean golden mosiac, malvaceous chlorosis. Euphorbia mosaic, and Rhynchosia mosaic) were studied by light microscopy. Large, blue-violet nuclear inclusions as well as fibrillar bodies were readily detected in phloem cells in azure-A-stained tissues from infected plants. The cytopathic effects observed in these light microscopic studies were consistent with the ultrastructural changes associated with these viruses. The diagnostic potential of the light microscopic technique was demonstrated with the pseudo-curly top virus infections occurring in Florida. The conspicuous nuclear inclusions and the fibrillar bodies resolved in tissues infected by the pseudo-curly top virus indicate a geminivirus etiology.