Plant Pathology Science

Geminiviruses (Geminiviridae family) with small circular ssDNA genome are encoding just four to seven proteins on virion and complementary-sense strands of their genomes. To have a progressive infection, they are dependent mostly on host cellular machineries and interact with wide range of different host plants factors and processes. Geminiviruses alter the cell cycle in infected plants and they can support replication of viral DNA. They change host gene expression patterns, inhibit cell death pathways, alter macromolecule trafficking and interfere with protein modification to redirect or suppress host defenses and hormones signaling. Geminiviruses encode gene silencing suppressors to interfere with post-transcriptional gene silencing and alter plant DNA methylation and microRNA (miRNA) pathways, often causing developmental abnormalities. Here, the geminiviruses are discussed as one of the most destructive plant viruses and their proteins interactions with host cell factors and pathways are described.