Fig. 1

The specificity of antibodies against Imp and detection of ROLP infection in rice tissues. a Schematic illustration of the peptide design of Imp (17 kDa). Western blotting analyses showing specificity of antibodies of Imp2, Imp4, and Imp5. Total proteins from E. coli strain expressing Imp, ROLP-infected or healthy leafhopper, or ROLP-infected or healthy rice were separated by SDS-PAGE. b Immunofluorescence micrographs showing the distribution of ROLPs in the phloem of rice leaves with typical ROLD symptoms. Frozen slices from healthy or ROLP-infected rice tissues were immunolabeled with Imp-specific antibody directly conjugated with rhodamine (Imp-rhodamine, red) and then examined by immunofluorescence microscopy. Ve, vessel; ST, sieve tube. Scale bars, 20 μm. c Electron micrographs showing the distribution of ROLPs in the vascular bundles of ROLP-infected rice leaves. Panel i, phloem cells of ROLP-infected rice leaves. Panel ii is the enlarged image of the boxed area in panel i, showing ROLP-infected companion cells. Scale bars, 10 μm (i) and 500 nm (ii) d Electron micrographs of ROLP-infected sieve tube cells of rice. Panels II–VII are the enlarged images of the ROLP-infected cells in panel I. Panels IV–VII, morphologically different small virus-like particles which were specifically labeled by gold particles. Mes, mesophyll; PP, phloem parenchyma; SE, sieve elements; ST, sieve tube; Ve, vessel. Scale bars, 500 nm (i) and 60 nm (ii–vii)