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Tobacco Mosaic and Brome Mosaic Viruses in Aphids. Y. Takahashi, Department of Botany, University of Toronto, Toronto 181, Ontario, Canada; G. B. Orlob, Department of Botany, University of Toronto, Toronto 181, Ontario, Canada. Phytopathology 62:429-434. Accepted for publication 12 November 1971. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-62-429.

The movement, distribution, and biological activity of two plant viruses in aphids was studied. Upon entering the ventriculus of Myzus persicae or Acyrthosiphon pisum, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was enclosed in “food balls” which disintegrated during passage, releasing free virus into the gut lumen. A few TMV particles were seen in association with the microvilli, but no clear evidence for phagocytosis of virus was obtained. No TMV was seen in dissected intestines, hindguts, or in the hemolymph of aphids. With brome mosaic virus (BMV), viruslike particles were observed in the gut of Rhopalosiphum padi. However, their identity as BMV particles could not be established except by the fact that they were much less numerous in control aphids. Both infectious TMV and BMV were recovered from the ventriculus and honeydew of aphids, but not from the hemolymph or from aphid macerates. Infectivity of TMV was reduced by injection into the hemolymph of aphids. The total concentration of TMV in M. persicae was estimated to be 6 × 10⁵ particles/aphid.