Mechanisms of resistance to plant viruses are diverse, and probably involve different types of recognition events. Often, a cascade of changes affecting broader aspects of defence and metabolism is switched on progressively after the initial recognition event. Virulence, i.e. resistence-breaking behaviour of the virus, involves a failure or alteration of recognition or subsequent signalling. Consequences of these recognition events are the ways in which the pathogenic effects on the host are exerted: formation of visible symptoms and control of plant growth. This volume offers a comprehensive coverage of the recognition and signalling events between plants and viruses whereby the particular attraction of viruses (and viroids) is that they can now be completely defined in molecular terms: they offer excellent opportunities for studying the molecular biology of signalling, and may even provide useful guidelines on how plants and cellular pathogens interact.

Inhalt

Section 1. Introduction and Comparative Studies.- Recognition and response in plant-virus interactions: some underlying concepts.- Recognition in resistance to bacteria.- Recognition and response in plant-fungus interactions.- Section 2 Plant-Virus Interactions: Transmission, Host Range and Genetics.- Specificity and recognition events in the transmission of plant viruses by vectors.- The genetics of plant-virus interactions: mechanisms controlling host range, resistance and virulence.- Plant virus epidemiology: the battle of the genes.- Section 3. Molecular Mechanisms of Plant-Virus Interaction. I. Infection, Replication and Spread.- Signals and structures involved in early interactions between plants and viruses or pseudoviruses.- Genetic organization, evolution and expression of plant viral RNA genomes.- Replication of plant RNA viruses in vivo in relation to virus-host interactions.- Viroid replication mechanisms.- The movement protein of some plant viruses.- Section 4. Molecular Mechanisms of Interaction. II. Pathogenesis and Symptom Formation.- Signalling in viroid pathogenesis.- The molecular biology of satellite RNA from cucumber mosaic virus.- Cryptic viruses of beet and other plants.- Plant growth regulators, viruses and plant growth.- Recognition and disease development in the tobacco-TMV system.- Entry of tobacco mosaic virus RNA into tobacco chloroplasts in vivo and in vitro.- Section 5. Recognition and Response in Resistance and Virulence.- Modifications of the coat protein gene of tobacco mosaic virus resulting in the induction of necrosis.- Hypersensitivity to tobacco mosaic virus in N'-gene hosts: which viral genes are involved?.- Induction of plant genes by compatible and incompatible virus-plant interactions.- Defence proteins, glycanhydrolases and oligosaccharide signals in plant-virus interactions.- Inhibitor of virus replication associated with resistance responses.- Intercellular spread of potato leafroll luteovirus: effects of co-infection and plant resistance.- Section 6. Exploiting Signalling in Crop Protection.- Examination of mechanisms of cross protection with non-transgenic plants.- Coat protein-mediated protection against virus infection.- The use and misuse of viruses in cloning and expression in plants.