But Tomato fruit blotch virus (ToFBV), a Blunervirus, shows up with a lipid membrane — rare, exotic, and eye-catching.

Even in virology, fashion matters. 😉

#PlantVirology #ToFBV #Blunervirus #Kitaviridae #SciComm #ScienceHumor

Like parsley! Did you know that Germans consume 138g/year/household? Bummer if it infected by rhabdoviruses...

We keep an eye out for novel rhabdoviruses here at the @leibniz-dsmz.bsky.social , too! With #HTS on the rise, we're seeing many unclassified, new rhabdo-like viruses, for example, in local herbs!

if you like to know more about our department plant viruses at the DSMZ: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3_n...

Transmission? Think insect vectors!
Mostly planthoppers, leafhoppers, or aphids.
#Rhabdoviruses replicate in both the insect and the plant = propagative transmission.Viruses with dual hosts and dual replication strategies are always a thrill, aren't they?

These viruses are non-segmented negative-sense RNA viruses.
Translation: they need to carry their own RNA-dependent RNA polymerase to transcribe their genome upon entry.

😄yes, you are right - that one is not a TMV. TMV is like Sleeping Beauty when you kiss her awake 😉

Plant rhabdoviruses belong mainly to two genera:

Cytorhabdovirus: replicate in the cytoplasm

Nucleorhabdovirus: replicate in the nucleus (!)

Yes, they hijack different compartments depending on the species.

Did you know?
Rhabdoviruses aren’t just for animals – they also infect plants (and insects)!
Their iconic bullet shape and negative-sense RNA genomes make them virologically unique across kingdoms.

Plant viruses don’t just infect — they reprogram.
TYLCV infection shifts sugars & amino acids from shoots to roots, tweaking host metabolism to its own advantage.
Viral engineering at its finest.

doi.org/10.3390/plan...

#PlantVirology #Begomovirus #TYLCV #PlantPathology