Mutations, the Abberant Ratio Phenomenon, and Virus Infection of Maize

Viruses interact genetically in various ways with bacterial and animal hosts, e.g. by lysogeny in bacteriophage and by incorporating a DNA copy of retrovirus RNA into the host genome. These phenomena lead to mutations, to the transfer of host genes by viruses, and to latent viruses being transmitted from generation to generation essentially as host genes. In contrast, there are no known examples of the incorporation of viral genomes into plant DNA.