This book deals with the structure and replication of plant viruses, viroids, satellites of plant viruses, and spiroplasmas and neatly sums up the state of our knowledge about these aspects of these pathogens.Published information about single-stranded positive-sense RNA plant viruses is far greater than for any other group of plant pathogens.The book caters to the needs of students as well as researchers and is illustrated with micrographs, figures of postulated models, and genetic maps

In calling this series Molecular Plant Virology, I had in mind aspects of plant virology of interest to biochemists, molecular geneticists, biophysicists, genetic engineers, or, collectively,molecular biologists. At the same time, the intention was to provide up-to-date reviews, by expert contributors, on current research topics in plant virology of interest and referential use to virologists and plant biologists. The selected topics are pitched mainly at a research level, but with sufficient introduction and cross-referencing to enable graduate students to enter this fascinating field and, hopefully, not get lost.

This interesting handbook discusses 145 plant viruses in 27 groups and 31 unclassified viruses in naturally infected legumes. The viruses were observed in field infections of 281 species in 64 genera of the Leguminosae. The book presents information regarding resistance sources and resistance-breeding, vectors, seed transmission, and host ranges. Measurements of virus properties are organized in tabular form for particle dimensions, serological relationships, nucleic acid percentages, sedimentation coefficients of particles and nucleic acids, molecular weights of nucleic acids and coat proteins, optical density, and buoyant density. Handbook of Viruses Infecting Legumes is unique in that it relates inclusion cytology to plant virus detection, identification, and classification. Light and electron micrographs illustrate morphology, location, and staining reactions of inclusions. Of the 27 groups that contain viruses infecting legumes in nature, inclusions are diagnostic at the group level in 15 of these groups. Plant breeders, diagnosticians, plant virologists, and students of plant virology will find this an indispensable guide to legume viruses.

In calling this series Molecular Plant Virology, I had in mind aspects of plant virology of interest to biochemists, molecular geneticists, biophysicists, genetic engineers, or, collectively,molecular biologists. At the same time, the intention was to provide up-to-date reviews, by expert contributors, on current research topics in plant virology of interest and referential use to virologists and plant biologists. The selected topics are pitched mainly at a research level, but with sufficient introduction and cross-referencing to enable graduate students to enter this fascinating field and, hopefully, not get lost.

Written by experts in their field, Virus Structure and Assembly summarizes our current state of knowledge in the field of virus structure and assembly, comparing and contrasting the mechanisms adopted by viruses with a wide diversity of genome and host. It will serve as an invaluable reference for researchers in virology, microbiology, epidemiology, molecular biology, and public health.* Witness to the remarkable advancement in the field of virus structure and assembly* A unique opportunity to compare and contrast mechanisms adopted by a diverse range of viruses from bacteriophages and RNA viruses to Bluetongue, Influenza and Hepatitis B* Numerous illustrations including color* Discussion on the VIPER database, a repository for all high-resolution structures of simple icosahedral viruses, and on application of mass spectrometry to the analysis of structures present in biological specimens, such as HIV-1

The time seems ripe for a critical compendium of that segment of the biological universe we call viruses. Virology, as a science, having passed only recently through its descriptive phase of naming and num bering, has probably reached that stage at which relatively few new truly new-viruses will be discovered. Triggered by the intellectual probes and techniques of molecular biology, genetics, biochemical cytology, and high resolution microscopy and spectroscopy, the field has experienced a genuine information explosion. Few serious attempts have been made to chronicle these events. This comprehensive series, which will comprise some 6000 pages in a total of about 22 volumes, represents a commitment by a large group of active investigators to analyze, digest, and expostulate on the great mass of data relating to viruses, much of which is now amorphous and disjointed, and scattered throughout a wide literature. In this way, we hope to place the entire field in perspective, and to develop an invalu able reference and sourcebook for researchers and students at all levels. This series is designed as a continuum that can be entered anywhere, but which also provides a logical progression of developing facts and integrated concepts.