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Tobamovirus TMV
TMV holds a legendary place in science — it was the FIRST virus ever discovered (1892). Ivanovsky showed that the agent causing tobacco mosaic disease was smaller than any known bacterium. Beijerinck called it 'contagium vivum fluidum' (living contagious fluid), coining the concept of viruses.
Discovered in 1892 (first virus ever discovered) by Dmitri Ivanovsky (Russia) & Martinus Beijerinck (Netherlands)
Mechanical contact (plant sap), contaminated tools, seeds, soil
No cure for infected plants — remove and destroy infected plants, sterilize tools
Disease-resistant crop varieties, crop rotation, sanitation, seed treatment, avoiding tobacco products near crops
TMV was the first virus ever discovered (1892), the first virus crystallized (1935 by Wendell Stanley, who won the Nobel Prize), and the first virus seen under an electron microscope (1939)!
2,130 identical protein subunits arranged in a helix — self-assembles like a spiral staircase
Rigid rod structure with 16.33 proteins per turn in a right-handed helix
6,395 nucleotides embedded in a groove between protein subunits — encodes 4 proteins
4 nm hollow channel running through the center of the rod
Modified nucleotide cap at the RNA 5' end for translation initiation
Specific RNA sequence where coat proteins begin self-assembly