A Comparison of Ultrastructural Changes of Barley Cells Infected with Mild and Aggressive Isolates of Barley stripe mosaic virus

Abstract

Electron microscopy studies were carried out to investigate the association of visible disease symptoms with ultrastructural changes in barley plants infected with mild and aggressive isolates of Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV). Differences in virus particle concentrations and cytopathological alterations in leaves were observed. The formation of membranous inclusions, abnormal dumbbell-shaped mitochondria and the deposition of membrane structures between the cell wall and plasma membrane were characteristic for aggressive isolates, whereas the rearrangement of the thylakoids and appearing electron transparent vacuoles in the plastid stroma were typical for the mild isolate. Moreover, the invaginations of plasma membrane into the cell and the cytoplasm containing a large number of virus particles into the vacuole, elongated mitochondria and alteration of micro-bodies were observed in the case of both isolates.