AN APPRAISAL OF THE BANDED AND PARACRYSTALLINE CYTOPLASMIC INCLUSIONSINDUCED IN CYMBIDIUM MOSAIC POTEXVIRUS-INFECTED AND ODONTOGLOSSUM RINGSPOT TOBAMOVIRUS INFECTED ORCHID CELLS USING CONFOCAL LASER-SCANNING MICROSCOPY

The cymbidium mosaic potexvirus (CyMV) banded inclusions and the odont oglossum ringspot tobamovirus (ORSV) paracrystalline inclusions were s tudied in flowers and leaves of nine orchid cultivars using the confoc al laser scanning microscope. The inclusions varied in length and widt h and were mostly located adjacent to the cell walls. Some ORSV inclus ions fully extended across entire infected cells. We propose that the CyMV banded inclusion was formed from virus aggregates which aligned a s periodical stacked layers, appearing as cross bands. The virus aggre gates were folded into flexible inclusions, giving rise to various sha pes and forms. The ORSV paracrystalline inclusions were observed as ne edle-like crystals. The confocal laser scanning microscope is an effec tive tool for the study of the three-dimensional structures of plant v irus induced inclusions.