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Geminiviruses and RNA silencing.
Ramachandran Vanitharani1, Padmanabhan Chellappan, Claude M Fauquet
1International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO 63132, USA.
Trends in Plant Science
|March 8, 2005
Summary
Geminiviruses, plant-infecting viruses, can trigger and suppress post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), a plant defense mechanism. Understanding this interaction aids in controlling geminivirus diseases and advancing functional genomics in crops.
Area of Science:
- Plant Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Geminiviruses are single-stranded DNA viruses causing significant crop diseases globally.
- Post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) is a crucial plant defense against viruses, essential for genome maintenance and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review how nuclear-replicating geminiviruses induce and suppress PTGS.
- To explore applications of PTGS manipulation for controlling geminivirus infections and studying crop functional genomics.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent research on geminivirus-PTGS interactions.
- Analysis of viral strategies for PTGS induction and suppression.
- Discussion of PTGS-based applications in agriculture and research.
Main Results:
- Geminiviruses can both trigger and overcome PTGS, a key factor in establishing infection.
- Nuclear replication of geminiviruses influences their interaction with PTGS.
- PTGS is a target for geminiviruses and a tool for research.
Conclusions:
- Geminiviruses employ sophisticated strategies to manipulate the plant PTGS pathway.
- Harnessing PTGS offers promising avenues for developing resistant crops and advancing functional genomics.