Plant and Insect Mycoplasma Techniques

1. Front Matter

   Pages 3-8

   PDF

2. The Biology of Mycoplasmas

   • D. B. Archer, M. J. Daniels

   Pages 9-39

3. Plant and Arthropod Mycoplasmas: A Historical Perspective

   • R. F. Whitcomb, L. M. Black

   Pages 40-81

4. The ‘Yellows’ Plant Diseases: Plant Hosts and their Interaction with the Pathogens

   • P. G. Markham

   Pages 82-100

5. Light and Electron Microscopy

   • Henry Waters

   Pages 101-151

6. Chemical Treatment for Control of Plant Mycoplasma Diseases

   • Randolph E. McCoy, Donna S. Williams

   Pages 152-173

7. Media and Methods for Culture of Spiroplasmas

   • C. H. Liao, T. A. Chen

   Pages 174-200

8. Culture of Other Microorganisms from Yellows-Diseased Plants

   • S. J. Eden-Green

   Pages 201-239

9. Serological Characterisation of Spiroplasmas and Other Mycoplasmas

   • David L. Williamson

   Pages 240-267

10. Physicochemical Characterisation of Plant and Insect Mycoplasmas

    • R. Townsend, M. J. Daniels

    Pages 268-306

11. Insect Vectors

    • P. G. Markham

    Pages 307-326

12. Miscellaneous Methods

    • M. A. Stephens, M. J. Daniels

    Pages 327-358

13. Back Matter

    Pages 359-369

    PDF

Only 14 years have passed since the first publication appeared which implicated mycoplasmas as agents of plant disease. The diseases them­ selves have been known for much longer; indeed clover phyllody, a typical example, was described in the seventeenth century, well before any animal mycoplasma diseases had been documented. The early history of plant mycoplasmas is described in Chapter 2 and one obvious conclusion to be drawn from the frustrating experiences of the earlier workers is that the experimental methods at their disposal were simply inadequate for the task. Progress in science depends critically upon the development of new methods. Although important advances have been made in plant and insect mycoplasmology, notably in the discovery of spiroplasmas, many intractable problems remain. Most plant myco­ plasmas cannot yet be cultured in vitro, and their natural plant habitat, the phloem, is one of the most difficult plant tissues for the experi­ menter to handle, placing severe restrictions on the type of experiments which can be performed in vivo. It is clear that radically new methods may be required to solve these problems. A survey of the progress which has been made shows that application of techniques from a wide range of disciplines has been necessary. A successful individual or group of workers must possess the skills of a plant pathologist, a plantsman, a plant physiologist, a light-and electron microscopist, a bacteriologist, a biochemist, an immunologist, an ento­ mologist, a virologist and a molecular geneticist.

• biology
• development
• insects
• plants
• science

• John Innes Institute, Norwich, England

  M. J. Daniels, P. G. Markham

Policies and ethics