Antigens and antigenic determinants; Antibodies; Virus purification; Preparation of Ansira and purification of antibodies; Antigen-antibody interaction; Serological techniques; Role of quaternary structure in viral antigenicity; Virus identidication; Virus classification; Immunochemical studies of plant viruses.
Serology and Immunochemistry of Plant Viruses investigates the antigenic properties of plant viruses. It looks at the practical aspects of plant virus serology, along with the molecular basis of viral antigenicity, antigenic determinants in proteins, the structure of antibodies, virus purification, antiserum production, and the theoretical principles and practical implementation of the various serological techniques. It also considers the problems associated with identification and classification of plant viruses. Organized into 10 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of antigens and antigenic determinants before proceeding with a discussion of the immunochemistry of plant viruses, virus-antibody binding, the role of quaternary structure in antigenicity, and the structure of viral antigenic determinants. The reader is also introduced to the methods and principles of purifying plant viruses, preparation of antisera and purification of antibodies, antigen-antibody interaction, immunochemical techniques used with plant viruses, the role of quaternary structure on viral antigenicity, diagnosis of virus diseases, use of serological criteria for measuring the degree of relationship between viruses, and immunochemical studies of plant viruses. The book includes a bibliography with 1,400 references and a list of all the plant viruses that have been studied by serology. This book will be a useful resource for virologists and plant pathologists, as well as for students and research workers in plant virology, plant pathology, microbiology, and general virology.
Structure of Antigens discusses a variety of topics dealing with the structural basis of antigenicity. Topics include the analytical methods used to elucidate the structure of antigens, the structure of antibodies, the principles underlying modern immunoassays and the measurement of antibody binding affinity, and physicochemical principles and methodological aspects. The book also considers major groups of antigens distinguished by their functional activity and biological role (e.g., drugs, autoantigens, snake toxins, allergens) or by their association with particular biological systems (e.g., antigens of microorganisms). Structure of Antigens will provide a current, useful, reference for researchers and graduate students in all fields of biological science who need an overview of antigenic specificity. VOLUME 1
The domestication of grapes dates back five thousand years ago and has spread to nearly all continents. In recent years, grape acreage has increased dramatically in new regions, including the United States of America, Chile, Asia (China and India), and Turkey. A major limiting factor to the sustained production of premium grapes and wines is infections by viruses. The advent of powerful molecular and metagenomics technologies, such as molecular cloning and next generation sequencing, allowed the discovery of new viruses from grapes. To date, grapevine is susceptible to 64 viruses that belong to highly diverse taxonomic groups. The most damaging diseases include: (1) infectious degeneration; (2) leafroll disease complex; and (3) rugose wood complex. Recently, two new disease syndromes have been recognized: Syrah decline and red blotch. Losses due to fanleaf degeneration are estimated at $1 billion annually in France alone. Other diseases including leafroll, rugose wood, Syrah de cline and red blotch can result in total crop loss several years post-infection. This situation is further exacerbated by mixed infections with multiple viruses and other biotic as well as adverse abiotic environmental conditions, such as drought and winter damage, causing even greater destruction. The book builds upon the last handbook (written over twenty years ago) on the part of diagnostics and extensively expands its scope by inclusion of molecular biology aspects of select viruses that are widespread and economically most important. This includes most current information on the biology, transmission, genome replication, transcription, subcellular localization, as well as virus-host interactions. It also touches on several novel areas of scientific inquiry. It also contains suggested directions for future research in the field of grapevine virology.
This volume of the series The Plant Viruses is devoted to viruses with rod-shaped particles belonging to the following four groups: the toba moviruses (named after tobacco mosaic virus), the tobraviruses (after to bacco rattle), the hordeiviruses (after the latin hordeum in honor of the type member barley stripe mosaic virus), and the not yet officially rec ognized furoviruses (fungus-transmitted rod-shaped viruses, Shirako and Brakke, 1984). At present these clusters of plant viruses are called groups instead of genera or families as is customary in other areas of virology. This pe culiarity of plant viral taxonomy (Matthews, 1982) is due to the fact that the current Plant Virus Subcommittee of the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses is deeply split on what to call the categories or ranks used in virus classification. Some plant virologists believe that the species concept cannot be applied to viruses because this concept, according to them, necessarily involves sexual reproduction and genetic isolation (Milne, 1984; Murant, 1985). This belief no doubt stems from the fact that these authors restrict the use of the term species to biological species. According to them, a collection of similar viral isolates and strains does constitute an individ ual virus, i. e. , it is a taxonomy entity separate from other individual viruses.
The book is a compilation of research work carried out on plant viruses during past 100 years in India. Plant viruses are important constraints in Indian agriculture. Tropical and sub-tropical environments and intensive crop cultivation practices ideally favours perpetuation of numerous plant viruses and their vectors in India, which often cause wide spread crop losses. Of all the plant pathogens, studies of plant viruses have received a special attention as they are difficult to manage. A large body of literature has been published on the plant virus research from India during past 100 years; however the information is so far not available in one place. This book provides comprehensive information on the biology, molecular biology, epidemics, crop losses, diagnosis and management of viruses and viroids occurring in India. Description of properties of the viruses are provided in the chapters comprising of different genera such as Allexivirus, Begomovirus, Babuvirus, Badnavirus, Carlavirus, Carmovirus, Cucumovirus, Closterovirus, Ilavirus, Mandrivirus, Potyvirus, Tospovirus, Tungrovirus and Sobemovirus. Virus-vector research related to aphid, thrips and whitefly is discussed. The work on the management aspects of plant viral diseases has been described with reference to the conventional, antiviral and transgenic approaches. Further, the quarantine mechanism developed in India for the exclusion of viruses and vectors has also been included. The book also provides useful information about the capacity building on the research and education on Plant Virology in India. Overall, the book covers a wide range of accounts of research findings and innovations in Plant Virology in India during past 100 years. The book will be a resourceful reference to the students, scientists, agricultural professionals and policy makers.
This book provides detailed information on methodologies used in biological, serological and nucleic acid based assays for the detection, diagnosis and management of plant viruses. The content is divided into six main parts, the first of which presents techniques used in the biological characterization and transmission of viruses, while Part II covers purification and techniques concerning the physico-chemical properties of viruses. In turn, Part III focuses on in vitro expression, production of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies; and on various serological assays including precipitin tests, ELISA, blot immunoassays, immunosorbent electron microscopy and lateral flow immunoassays. Part IV addresses the isolation of DNA and RNA from plants and nucleic acid based assays such as dot-blot, polymerase chain reaction, real-time PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, rolling circle amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification, and next-generation sequencing approaches. Part V discusses cloning, sequencing, sequence analysis and the production of infectious clones, while the last part (Part VI) provides biotechnological approaches for the management of viruses. Given its scope, the book will be a valuable resource for every laboratory, student and teacher, and for everyone interested in plant virology, plant pathology, plant biology and molecular biology, offering them a practical manual on various aspects of plant viruses.
This manual provides all relevant protocols for basic and applied plant cell and molecular technologies, such as histology, electron microscopy, cytology, virus diagnosis, gene transfer and PCR. Also included are chapters on laboratory facilities, operation and management as well as a glossary and all the information needed to set up and carry out any of the procedures without having to use other resource books. It is especially designed for professionals and advanced students who wish to acquire practical skills and first-hand experience in plant biotechnology.
Seeds provide an efficient means in disseminating plant virus and viroid diseases. The success of modern agriculture depends on pathogen free seed with high yielding character and in turn disease management. There is a serious scientific concern about the transmission of plant viruses sexually through seed and asexually through plant propagules. The present book provides the latest information along with the total list of seed transmitted virus and viroid diseases at global level including, the yield losses, diagnostic techniques, mechanism of seed transmission, epidemiology and virus disease management aspects. Additional information is also provided on the transmission of plant virus and virus-like diseases through vegetative propagules. It is also well known that seed transmitted viruses are introduced into new countries and continents during large-scale traffic movements through infected germplasm and plant propogules. The latest diagnostic molecular techniques in different virus-host combinations along with disease management measures have been included. The book shall be a good reference source and also a text book to the research scientists, teachers, students of plant pathology, agriculture, horticulture, life sciences, green house managers, professional entrepreneurs, persons involved in quarantines and seed companies. This book has several important features of seed transmitted virus diseases and is a good informative source and thus deserves a place in almost all university libraries, seed companies and research organizations.