ABSTRACT
The ability of a plant virus to systemically infect its hosts is the result of an interaction between viral gene products and host gene products. Although it is not known how viruses and their hosts interact to produce an infection, the genetic basis for the interaction may be quite simple. This chapter presents studies in which viral host determinants have been identified. It provides a general review of the host specificity of plant viruses. The chapter reviews the host specificity of a single plant virus, cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV). It focuses on genetic differences in viruses that allow them to specifically infect different hosts. CaMV is the type member of the caulimovirus group, a plant virus group composed of circular, double-stranded DNA. Host specificity of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) has been mapped in one study to RNA1. CCMV belongs to the brome mosaic virus (BMV) group.
