Research Advances in Geminiviruses

Geminiviruses are a group of single-stranded DNA viruses that infect a broad range of crops and cause extensive losses worldwide. Their small, circular DNA genomes have limited coding capacities for 5–7 proteins. Consequently, essential life cycles of geminiviruses have to be supported by geminivirus-encoded proteins together with host factors. Recent findings have contributed significantly towards our understanding of the mechanisms for how a productive infection is established. This chapter offers a brief description of the biological functions of the viral proteins. The host factors involved in reprogramming plant cellular processes are also summarized.