Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2003. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rhode Island, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-175).

Thesis (M.Sc.)(Biochemistry)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

D.Phil. (Nematology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Sc. (Nematology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Polyclonal antisera produced against spores, soluble protein and the whole mycelium fractions of Didymella lycopersici reacted with the homologous and heterologous antigens. The most sensitive antiserum was that raised against the whole mycelium, the soluble protein and the spore, in decreasing order of sensitivity. Using the antiserum raised against the whole mycelium it was possible to detect D. lycopersici on diseased plants and infested seeds. Cross reactivity was observed between the antisera produced to D. lycopersici and D. applanata, D. bryoniae and other tomato fungal pathogens including Fusarium spp. and B. cinerea. ELISA was most sensitive and reliable compared to double immunodiffusion, and latex tests. No reactions were obtained using the latex agglutination procedure and no antiserum detected spores in double diffusion tests. Protein profiles on SDS-PAGE revealed that the total number of protein bands decreased with increased age of cultures of D. lycopersici incubated in liquid media. Western blots probed with the antiserum raised against the whole mycelium showed that protein bands from extracts of both D. lycopersici and D. applanata were antigenic. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Blueberry bushes with scorch symptoms were found during a survey of blueberry fields in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Some of these bushes were infected with blueberry scorch virus (BBScV) while others contained a second virus which was sap transmissible to Nicotiana clevelandii, N. benthamiana, and N. tabacum cv. 'Havana 425' . This virus was purified from N. clevelandii and had isometric particles of approximately 30 nm in diameter, a coat protein subunit of 27,500 daltons and a tripartite genome. I was unable to transfer the virus from either infected N. clevelandii or infected blueberry to healthy N. clevelandii with Myzus persicae or Fimbriaphis fimbriata. Serological tests of this blueberry virus with antisera against members of the ilar-, cucumo-, bromo-, or nepovirus groups failed to indicate any relationship. In a subsequent survey using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, this isometric virus was found in blueberry plants from northern Washington state to central Oregon but has not yet been found in B.C. Of the established members of the carlavirus group examined, BBScV is most closely related to potato virus S (PVS) and less closely related to carnation latent virus (CLV) and potato virus M (PVM). The difference in host range between BBScV and PVS would indicate that the BBScV is not a strain of PVS but is a separate virus that is related to PVS. Therefore, BBScV should be renamed blueberry scorch carlavirus (BBSCV). BBSCV was also compared to a carlavirus isolated from blueberry in the Sheep Pen Hill blueberry growing area of New Jersey (referred to as SPHV). These viruses were compared serologically and by use of nucleic acid hybridizations. BBSCV and SPHV were found to be closely related and were concluded to be strains of the same virus. SPHV should be named the New Jersey strain of BBSCV. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

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