TMV Virus
By: Cassandra Coubrough
Shape of the virus
The rod-shaped virus particles (virions) of TMV measure about 300 nm x 15 nm. A single TMV particle is composed of 2,130 copies of the coat protein (CP) that envelope the RNA molecule of about 6,400 nucleotides
How does the TMV virus spread (infect)?
TMV is very easily transmitted when an infected leaf rubs against a leaf of a healthy plant, by contaminated tools, and occasionally by workers whose hands become contaminated with TMV after smoking cigarettes. A wounded plant cell provides a site of entry for TMV. The virus can also contaminate seed coats, and the plants germinating from these seeds can become infected.
What implications does the TMV virus have on agricultural crops?
The TMV virus attacks fields of crops. A farmer will be impacted by this because they will loose money, and time, because their crops will die off, resulting in a shortness of that certain crop.
What types (families) of plants does the TMV virus infect?
Common plant hosts for the mosaic virus are tomato, pepper, petunia, snapdragon, delphinium, and marigold.