Interactions between satellite tobacco mosaic virus, helper tobamoviruses, and their hosts

Satellite tobacco mosaic virus (STMV) was detected frequently in California in association with TMV-U5 in naturally infected plants of Nicotiana glauca. Replication of STMV was not helper virus specific because eight tobamoviruses were able to support its replication in experimental infections in hosts that included crop plants such as tobacco and tomato. Two other tobamoviruses as well as several taxonomically distinct viruses could not serve as a helper. Infection with STMV did not alter symptoms induced by the helper viruses in any of the hosts tested (...)