History of Plant Virology

Viruses and organisms confused

with viruses
752 BC- Ref. in poem by one of the Japanese
Empress named Koken in which she described the
yellow leaf symptoms of Eupatorium.
1576, Carolus Clusius -Tulip color breaking- is the
oldest known example of virus disease
1692- Yellow stripe of Jasmine was found to be
caused by Jasmine mottle virus.
1791- Peach yellows was observed in USA
1869- Abutilon leaf variegation was known in
France and Belgium.
Seventeenth century tulipomania

 1882-1886: Actual era of Plant Virology started with

scientific investigation by Adolf Mayer
1886- Adolf Mayer infectious sap from tobacco induce
disease; gave term Mosaikkrankheit for mosaic
1892 Ivanowski Sap retained infectivity even after
filtration through chamberland porcelain filter,
doubted toxin produced by bacterium as cause.
1893-94 Hashimoto, a Rice grower in Japan suspected
the relation between rice leaf hopper and rice dwarf
disease- so is considered as first evidence of vector
transmission (Later established by Fukushi).
1898 M. W. Beijerinck in Netherland finally established
the cause of tobacco mosaic disease and named the
agent as Contagium vivum fluidum- gave the term
Virus. Published paper Uber ein Contagium vivum
fluidum als Ursache der Fleckenkrankheit der
Tabaksblatter ----- called
Father of Plant Virology

 1904- Baur experimentally proved that Abutilon

variegation is transmitted by grafting not by sap.
1923- Schultz & Murphy identified Aphids as vector
of viruses.
1928- H. Purdy Beale TMV infected plants
contained antigenic material, opened the door in
development of plant virology
Gratia (1933)- plants infected with diff. viruses
contain diff. antigens
Chester (1935-36): serological differentiation of
TMV & PVX strains
1929 Holmes Local lesion assay
1929- Mckinney observed the phenomenon of cross
protection
1931- K.M. Smith Use of indicator plants in virus
studies, helped in purifying the virus.
1932- Knoll & Ruska invented Electron Microscope.

1935 W. M. Stanley Isolation of

crystalline protein possessing
the
properties of TMV; Shared Nobel prize
1946
1936 Bawden and Pirie reported that
TMV contains nucleoprotein (5%)
1937
Bestfinally
confirmed
nucleoprotein nature of TMV
1937- Kunkel showed that the Aster
yellows virus multiplies in its leaf hopper
vector.
1939 -Kausche, Pflankuch & Ruska were
the first to observe TMV under electron
microscope

 1940- Fukushi Transovarial transmission of rice dwarf virus

1944 Williams and Wycoff Metal Shadowing that enabled the

detail of virus particles
1949-Markham & Smith found that the purified Turnip yellow
mosaic virus contained two types of particles one contained 35%
RNA and were infectious where as other had no RNA thus not
infective.
1951- K. Brakke developed the method of density gradient
centrifugation of plant viruses.
1952- Hershey & Chase demonstrated the infection behaviour
of bacteriophage and showed that only DNA enter the host cell
and protein remain outside

 1955- Frankel Conrat & Williams reconstituted the

virus TMV
1956- Gierer & Schramm (Germany( & Frankel
Conrat showed that only nucleic acid of TMV is
infective and protein coat does not have any
role in infection.
1956- Krick & Watson gave the general theory
structure of capsid of virus; the cp made up
numerous identical subunits as helicle rods
spherical shell.
1957- Brandes developed leaf dip method
electron microscopy

of
of
or
of

1958- Bancroft & Kaesberg observed that Alfalfa

mosaic virus contain multiple components.

 1960-Teakle made a significant observation that

TNV can be transmitted by fungus Olpidium
brassicae- a fungus virus vector
1960- Anderer et al., & Tsugita et al., were the first to
develop the full amino acid sequence of TMV
protein coat (158 aa units).
1959 Horne Negative staining of modern day
electron microscopy
1962- Kassanis coined the term Satellite virus,
associated with TNV
1963- Black & Markham demonstrated that wound
Tumor virus contain dsRNA
1996,1968- Lister discovered the bipartite genome of
TRV by sucrose density gradient centrifugation.
1967- Doi et. al.; Ishiie et. al., MLO in Mulberry dwarf,
aster yellow and potato witches broom
1968- Shepherd et al., observed that CaMV contain DNA

1970 Harrison et.al. mitochondria is

concerned with the replication of Tobacco
rattle virus; Classified the plant viruses into
16
groups
(1971); coined
the
term
Geminiviruses (1976)
1970- Taylor
transmission

and

Robertson

Nematode

1971 T. O. Diener: PSTVd Viroid

1971 Lane and Kaesberg brome mosaic
virus, has split genome
1972- Davis et al. Spiroplasmas

 1973- Goheen et al. observed RLOs alfaalfa

dwarf & Pierce disease of grapevine.
1975 Kohler and Milstein Hybridoma
technology
in
monoclonal antibodies
production Nobel prize in 1984
1976 Voller et. al.: developed ELISA
technique
1977- Clark & Adam: used ELISA in Plant
virus detection
1977- Harrison et al. coined the term gemini
virus ; transmitted by white fly and have
dsDNA

1980- Frazier and Converse genome sequence

of ds DNA of CaMV (8000bp sequence).
1982- Keese and Symons discovered virusoids
1984- Prusiner- discovered Prions in animals:
Nobel Prize in 1997 in Medicines
1986- Powell-Abel
resistance in TMV.

et

al

C.P.

mediated

1989- Hiatt et al., reported that transgenic

tobacco can be induced to produce antibodies

 1991- Gallitelli et al. - commercial application of

cross protection (Tomato-CMV; 95% protection)

Maxwell (1993) determined the complete

nucleotide sequence of bean dwarf mosaic virus
Beachy et al. (1997) elucidated the mechanism of
coat protein mediated resistance.
2001- Li et al., reported the role of proteins present
in the head tissue of aphid vector in the
transmission of the virus- they found two proteins
as receptor of BYDV; they act as sensors and if
absent in any aphid no transmission occurs

 2004- Boorod et al. established that single

chain antibodies for a viral RNA dependent
polymerases confer resistance to three
viruses of Tombusviridae- type member
Tomato bushy stunt virus.
2006- A.N Fire & C.C. Mello were awarded
Nobel Prize for their work RNA interferenceGene silencing by dsRNA.

Phytopathological classics
1. Fabricius Attempt at a Dissertation on the Disease
of plants. Ravn (1774)
2. Fontana Observation on Rust of Grain 1767. Pirone
(1932)
3. Millardet the discovery of Bordeaux Mixture 1885.
Schneiderhan (1933)
4. Woronin Plasmodiophora brassicae, the Cause of
the Cabbage Hernia 1878. Charles Chupp (1934)
5. Tillet Disseretation on the Cause of the Corruption
and Smutting of the Kernels of Wheat in the Head (
and on the means of preventing these untoward
circumstances) 1755. Humphrey (1937)
6. Prevost Memoir on the Immediate Cause of Bunt or
Smut of Wheat, and on the Prevention of Bunt
1807. Keitt (1939)
7. Mayer (1886), Ivanowski (1892), Beijerinck (1898) and
Baurb (1904) three early papers on tobacco mosaic
and one on infectious variegation. James Johnson
(1942)

8.
Berkeley

Observations,
Botanical
and
Physiological, on the Potato Murrain 1846. also
includes selections from Berkeleys Vegetable
Pathology made by the Plant Pathology Committee of
British Mycological Society.1948
9. Targioni Tozzeti True Nature and Sad Effects of the
Rust and Other Maladies of Wheat and of Oats in
the Field1767. Tehon (1952)
10. Bassi Del Mal del Segno 1835. Yarrow (1958)
11.De Bary Investigations of the Fungi and the
Diseases of Plants Caused by Them With Reference to
Grain and Other Useful Plants 1853. Arny and Moore
(1969)
12. Hartig Important Diseases of Forest Trees 1874.
detailed report which established the microbial basis
for wood decay. Merrill et.al.,(1975)

13.Fischer/Smith

The
Fischer
Smith
Controversy: Are Their Bacterial Diseases of
Plants? 1899. Seven articles depict vthe
classic and bitter debate regarding the
existence of bacterial diseases of plants.
Cambell (1981)
14. Ando/ Fukushi/ Storey Viruses In Vectors:
Transovarial Passage and
Retention.
Classic papers on plant viruses and their
insect vectors 1986.
15. Dutch Elm Disease Original 11 Articles. That
laid the foundation for studying the
devastating disease. Research by 7 female
Dutch scientists from 1920 - 1935