Tobacco Mosaic Virus
– Important disease of tobacco, tomato & other plants.
– Easily mechanically transmitted (only means of
transmission).
– Very high concentration in plants.
– First plant virus disease characterized (1898).
– First virus strains demonstrated;
– first cross protection shown.
– First virus crystallized (1946 Stanley was awarded the
Nobel prize).
– First demonstration of infectious RNA (1950s).
– First virus to be shown to consist of RNA and protein.
– First virus characterized by X-ray crystallography.
– First plant virus genome to be completely sequenced.
– First virus used for coat protein mediated protection.
– First virus to have a resistance gene characterized.