Bi7041 Plant Virology

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Ondřej Lenz, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: Mgr. et Mgr. Michal Dvořák
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Prerequisites
The lectures are held for students of biological disciplines, especially for virology students, eventually for others interested in virology.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Students will gain the basics of plant virology: they will be able to describe and explain the structure and functional principles of plant viruses, their differences from animal viruses, selected mechanisms of their interaction with plants and other viruses, and will be also aware of the methods of their research, including their potential use in biotechnologies.
Learning outcomes
Students will gain the basics of plant virology: they will be able to describe and explain the structure and functional principles of plant viruses, their differences from animal viruses, selected mechanisms of their interaction with plants and other viruses, and will be also aware of the methods of their research, including their potential use in biotechnologies.
Syllabus
  • A brief history of virology (from Tobacco mosaic virus to virology, Koch's postulates for virology).
  • Plant viruses and similar particles (viruses, defective viruses, helper viruses, satellite NK/viruses, viroids, phytoplasmas, similarities to and differences from animal viruses).
  • Structure of viruses and their classification (genome, structural proteins, functional proteins, envelope, multipartite and multiparticulate viruses, Baltimore system, selected taxons of plant viruses and their representatives).
  • Replication of plant viruses (different life strategies of viruses, (+) and (-) ssRNA viruses, dsRNA viruses, ssDNA viruses, dsDNA viruses, pseudoretroviruses, exceptions, integration into genome, alternative splicing).
  • Spreading of plant viruses (mechanical transmission, physical agents, vectors, human, spreading within a plant, spreading from cell to cell, systemic infection).
  • Origin and evolution of plant viruses (recombination, mutation, reassortment, horizontal transfer of genetic information, similarities with animal viruses, evolutionary origin of selected groups of plant viruses).
  • Reaction of plants to infection (sensitive plants, asymptomatic infections, hypersensitive reaction, plant "immunity", differences from animal immune system, "beneficial" viruses, endogenous viruses).
  • Interaction of viruses and their influence on the host plants (multiple viruses in one cell, influencing plant defense/immunity, influencing physiological processes in plants).
  • Research on plant viruses, the use of plant viruses in biotechnologies (molecular biological research methods, production of foreign proteins in plants, immunization, vaccines, other uses).
Literature
    recommended literature
  • FLINT, J. Principles of Virology. American Society for Microbiology, 2020. ISBN 1-68367-284-4. info
  • HULL, Roger. Plant Virology. 5th ed. Academic Press, 2013. ISBN 978-0-12-384871-0. info
  • BOS, L. Plant viruses, unique and intriguing pathogens – a textbook of plant virology. Leiden, Netherlands: Backhuys, 1999. ISBN 90-5782-012-9. info
Teaching methods
Monologic (lecture, explanation), dialogic (dedicated parts of lectures), students work with text materials.
Assessment methods
Written test (min. 60%) and oral exam (min. 50%).
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
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