ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the knowledge of plant rhabdoviruses, discussing in more detail information published after the appearance of the review by R. I. B. Francki. Rhabdoviruses of plants have a relatively simple ecology because of their vector specificity and limited host range. Some rhabdoviruses have been obtained in reasonably pure preparations by subjecting concentrated virus to rate-zonal and quasi-equilibrium centrifugation. Bullet-shaped and bacilliform, as well as pleomorphic particles have been observed in negatively stained preparations of rhabdoviruses from plants examined by electron microscopy. Antisera prepared against some of the rhabdoviruses from plants have been shown to react not only with preparations of homologous antigens, but also with soluble antigens specific to infected plants. The detection of large bacilliform particles in cells of plants infected with maize mosaic virus was followed by the discovery of numerous other plant viruses with similar morphology. The epidemiology of lettuce necrotic yellows virus is probably better understood than that of any other rhabdovirus.
