Relations between seed transmission and embryo infection were studied on cowpea and azuki bean plants inoculated with seed-borne viruses. Virus-host combinations tested in the present study were, (1) azuki bean mosaic virus (AzMV)/azuki bean, (2) cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CAMV)/cowpea, (3) cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)/azuki bean, (4) subclover mottle virus (SMV, a strain of broad bean wilt virus)/cowpea, and CAMV/azuki bean. Seed transmission occurs in the former two combinations, but does not occur in the remaining three combinations as described in a previous paper (Tsuchizaki, T.,
et al., 1970).
Young seedlings of cowpea or azuki bean were inoculated with a respective virus. Ten to fifteen days after flowering immature embryos were collected from the inoculated plants, and were examined individually for the presence of virus. The result showed that virus was recovered from immature embryos only in virus-host combinations that seed transmission occurred. It was also found that some embryos contained virus in high concentration, but others contained virus in very low concentration. When these virus-infected embryos were sown in pots containing sterilized soil and were grown into young seedlings, seed transmission was demonstrated only in seedlings developed from embryos containing virus in high concentration. In the following experiment cowpea or azuki bean plants were inoculated with CAMV in flowering stage. Ten to fifteen days after flowering immature embryos were collected from these plants, and were examined individually for the presence of virus. The result also showed that virus was recevered from immature embryos only in virus-host combinations that seed transmission occurred. But in this experiment virus concentration in infected embryos was always very low. It is evident that gamate infection cannot occur under these experimental conditions. Hence low virus concentration observed on the infected embryos may be a result of infection through direct invasion by virus from mother plants.
In another experiment both mature and immature seeds were obtained from cowpea as well as azuki bean plants. Removing their seed coat, the embryo surface were inoculated with CMV, AzMV, CAMV, or SMV by the carborundum method. Virus infection was observed to occur in every virus-host combinations tested, although the percentage of infected embryos were sometimes low.
Then an experiment was carried out on cowpea or azuki bean plants about 10 days after flowering. Immature embryos developing on mother plants were inoculated with a virus in that condition. Viruses used for the inoculation were CMV, AzMV, and SMV. After maturity these inoculated seeds were collected and were examined for seed transmission. Total 190 inoculated seeds including four virus-host combinations were thus tested. Among them seed transmission was observed only in two azuki bean seeds inoculated with CAMV and one cowpea seed inoculated with SMV. This result suggests that developing immature embryos are resistant to virus infection.
Considering these results, the difficulty or impossibility of embryo infection through direct invasion by virus from mother plants may be explained by the following two facts; (1) virus movement to embryo from mother plant is difficult, and (2) developing immature embryo is resistant to virus infection.
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