Cytological Modification of Sorghum Leaf Tissues Showing the Early Acute Response to Maize Dwrf Mosaic Virus

Sorghum leaf tissues showing the early acute response of systemic infection with maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) strain A, contained unusual virus-induced cytological modifications including cell wall thickenings and protrusions, intercellular vesicles termed as "paramural bodies", modified plasmodesmata, abnormal plastids, and cylindrical inclusion bodies. Abnormal cell wall, some of which associated with paramural bodies, was frequently contained modified plasmodesmata. Various abnormal plastids were located within infected cells of leaf tissues showing the early acute response. The most important changes in chloroplast seen in the tissues are the presence of small vesicles, deformation of membranes, reduction in granal stack height, disappearance of osmiophilic globules and degeneration of stuctures. The cytological modification was not occurred in nucleus but a group of degenerated mitochondria with abnormal membranes attached to cylindrical inclusion bodies were observed. It was hard more or less to prove the relationship clearly between virus and cellular organelles in virus replication.plication.