Cytopathology of soybean tissue culture cells infected with southern bean mosaic virus

Abstract

Virus distribution patterns and ultrastructural changes in soybean callus cells after infection with the type, or bean strain, of southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) were observed. Calli grown in liquid Linsmaier and Skoog (LS) medium were inoculated with SBMV and incubated in fresh LS medium. Calli were sampled at 5, 10, 15, and 20 d after inoculation and examined by transmission electron microscopy. Five days after inoculation, viruslike particles (VLP) measuring 22 to 27 nm in d were observed in the cytoplasm. The particles formed loose aggregates with some tendency to associate in regular patterns. By the 10th d after infection, particles were observed in the vacuoles in similar loose arrangements. Viruslike particles were readily identified in vacuoles because of the absence of ribosomes. Crystalline aggregations of VLP were found from Day 10 to Day 20 in the cytoplasm only. Five days after inoculation particles similar to the VLP observed in the cytoplasm also were present in nuclei. Other cytopathic effects were noted, particularly several types of inclusion bodies. These observations differ considerably from reports of the type strain in intact bean plant tissues in the frequent occurrence of VLP in vacuoles and virus crystals in cytoplasm of soybean callus infected with the same strain of virus.