It was proved that the protoplasts prepared from mesophyll of Nicotiana tabacum are infected by tobacco mosaic virus. The infection occurred when purified tobacco mosaic virus particles were added to a protoplast suspension in the presence of poly-L-ornithine. The virus multiplied in these protoplasts to a level of 10(6) virus particles per infected protoplast during 24 hours of incubation. The efficiency of infection was remarkably high, exceeding that by mechanical inoculation of tobacco leaves.
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