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Exocortis Disease: Evidence for a New Species of “Infectious” Low Molecular Weight RNA in Plants

Nature New Biology volume 237, pages 242–244 (1972)Cite this article

Abstract

THE anomalous properties of the infectious agent of exocortis disease in citrus (CEV), supposedly a virus, have been attributed1,2 to infectious RNA existing as free nucleic acid. Although this model is consistent with the low sedimentation coefficient and the susceptibility to RNAase, the infectious molecule does not cosediment with either single stranded (ss) or double stranded (ds) RNA markers after equilibrium sedimentation in Cs2SO4. Resistance of the 8–16S moiety to inactivation by heat or diethylpyrocarbonate further suggests the presence of ds regions3. A low molecular weight “infectious” RNA species, undetected in healthy tissue, has been implicated as the causal agent of exocortis disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68503

    J. S. SEMANCIK & L. G. WEATHERS

  2. University of California, Riverside, California, 92502

    J. S. SEMANCIK & L. G. WEATHERS

Authors
  1. J. S. SEMANCIK
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  2. L. G. WEATHERS
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SEMANCIK, J., WEATHERS, L. Exocortis Disease: Evidence for a New Species of “Infectious” Low Molecular Weight RNA in Plants. Nature New Biology 237, 242–244 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio237242a0

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