Tubular Structure Induced by a Plant Virus Facilitates Viral Spread in Its Vector Insect
Figure 6
Pns10 tubules localized along actin-based muscle fibers that surround the anterior midgut in viruliferous leafhopper.
(A) Confocal micrograph showing the association of Pns10 tubules with actin-based longitudinal muscle fibers. At 12-day padp, leafhopper organs were immunolabeled for Pns10 tubules with Pns10-rhodamine (red), for RDV virions with virus-Alexa Fluor 647 (blue), and for actin-based microvilli with FITC-phalloidin (green), then examined by confocal microscopy. Images show the blue fluorescence (virus antigens) and red fluorescence (Pns10 tubules) overlapped with the green fluorescence (actin). Image II is a higher magnification view of boxed area in image I to show that Pns10 tubules (red; arrows), rather than virus antigens (blue), co-localize with actin-based longitudinal muscle fibers (green) that seem to bridge two adjacent circular muscle cells. Images are representative of multiple experiments with multiple preparations. (B) Transmission electron micrograph showing the association of virus-containing tubule (arrow) with visceral muscle tissues lining anterior midgut. BL, basal lamina. CM, circular muscle. EC, epithelial cell. LM, longitudinal muscle. VM, visceral muscle. Bars, 20 µm (image I in A), 80 µm (image II in A) and 200 nm (B).