Viruses of Spiroplasma citri and their possible effects on pathogenicity.

Strains of Spiroplasma citri are persistently infected by viruses which have been separated into three groups on the basis of their morphology. The properties of each group are reviewed. Viruses normally only appear in spiroplasma cultures but recently all three types of particle have been identified in cells of a single strain of S. citri within an infected plant. Replication of a short-tailed polyhedral virus SP-V3 (ai) appears to be correlated with unusually mild symptom expression. Introduction of the virus with its host into plants already infected with a severe and potentially lethal strain of S. citri results in a marked suppression of symptoms and a reduction in the number of spiroplasmas.