Electrophoresis in Gels Suspended in Hydrophobic Solvents

Protein components in mixtures may be separated by zone electrophoresis in columns of gel suspended in hydrophobic solvents. The method is useful for the location of specific antibodies in IgG elec-trophoretic spectra.     

Assessment of aphid lethal paralysis virus as an apparent population growth‐limiting factor in grain aphids in the presence of other natural enemies

The influence of aphid lethal paralysis virus (ALPV), Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV), natural enemies and fungal infection on the population growth of Rhopalosiphum padi and Sitobion avenae in the wheat fields of the Western Cape Province of South Africa was investigated at two sites. Time‐specific life tables were compiled for R. padi at one site. During the logarithmic phase of the development of R. padi aphids, natural enemies were not present in high numbers and the apparent large‐scale mortality observed appeared to be due to other causes. During the decline phase of this aphid population, the population size was reduced by 49%. This reduction coincided with a calculated high mortality of 70 aphids per plant. A dramatic decline in R. padi numbers and a high incidence of ALPV present in the aphid population was experienced during this period. Virus assays were carried out by double‐antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (DAS‐ELISA) and an indirect immunofluorescent technique. Entomophthorales‐type fungal infection of aphids also reached its highest level during the decline phase, but at a later stage than ALPV infection, with a calculated level of 21 aphids per plant. This suggested that the presence of ALPV limited population development in R. padi. Similar results were obtained with S. avenae.     

Brome Mosaic Virus Infection Mimics, Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus Disease Symptoms in Small Grains

Previous studies on the occurrence of “barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) disease” in South Africa have led to the conclusion that, although this virus is present, the main causative agent of “yellow dwarf” disease in cereals appears to be the unrelated brome mosaic virus (BMV). In this study, material from South Africa, Britain and Australia that had been identified symprtomatically as being infected with BYDV, was found by serological testing to contain BMV. No BYDV could be detected in the same samples. This report discusses the hazards of relying on symptom expression for the diagnosis of a common world-wide disease problem.     

The Association of Brome Mosaic Virus and Wheat Rusts: I. Transmission of BMV by Uredospores of Wheat Stem and Leaf Rust

Both the stem and leaf rust fungi of wheat (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, P. recondita f. sp. tritici) were investigated as potential vectors of brome mosaic virus (BMV), a pathogen of Gramineae. They were found to transmit BMV to healthy plants through uredospore transfer from hosts infected with both the viral and fungal pathogens. Virus was transmitted even to rust-resistant and non-susceptible hosts. Rust-transmitted virus produced atypical symptoms on plants, could not be extracted by normal low pH methods, and multiplied only to low levels in leaf tissue. Extracted virus was shown to be similar to BMV-type strain (ATC) by serology, density gradient centrifugation and immunospecific electron microscopy. The importance of the association of BMV with the rust fungus in natural infections is discussed.     

Detection of Seed-Transmitted Brome Mosaic Virus by ELISA, Radial Immunodiffusion and Immunoelectroblotting Tests

The extent of contamination of wheat seedlots by brome mosaic virus (BMV), and the possible transmission of the virus through seed, were investigated by radial immunodiffusion (RID), enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and enzyme-assisted immunoelectroblotting (IEB) tests. BMV was purified from seed washings, and from plants grown from contaminated seed. All three serological tests proved of value in detecting contaminated seeds, while ELISA and IEB were especially useful in detecting virus in infected plants grown from such seed. Rhopalosiphum padi aphids were shown to increase the incidence of BMV infectLon in seedling batches containing a few seed-infected plants. The implications of these findings for wheat breeding schemes are discussed.     

The Association of Brome Mosaic Virus and Wheat Rusts.

Evidence is presented in support of transmission of brome mosaic virus by uredospores of wheat stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici). The presence of BMV associated with uredospores is shown by the use of sensitive serological assays such as, fluorescent antibody binding studies, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunosorbent electron microscopy. The virus is shown to be carried externally on the uredospores. The nature of the association of the virus with uredospores and its relation to the mode of carriage and transmission of the virus by the uredospores, as well as the importance of this association in the epidemiology of the virus is discussed.