Geminiviruses 2023

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viruses of Plants, Fungi and Protozoa".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 13988

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Pathology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
Interests: ecology and evolution of geminiviruses; geminivirus-plant-vector interactions

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
Interests: antiviral immunity; geminivirus–host interactions; the molecular network of plant adaptive responses that in-tegrate the ER-unfolded protein response with the osmotic and cell death signals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Geminiviruses are among the most economically important plant viruses, and are also an excellent model to study plant DNA replication, cell cycle regulation and other basic cellular processes. Therefore, research on geminiviruses has always included both basic and applied aspects, from their replication strategy to the management of geminiviral diseases in different crops. Due to their widespread presence in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world, geminiviruses are the focus of research groups based in all seven continents, and our understanding of these agents progresses rapidly. Similarly, our understanding of the diversity of geminiviruses as a group has increased significantly in recent years, with the description of a large number of highly divergent geminiviruses. As a result, ten new genera have been created in the family Geminiviridae over the last ten years, and the family now includes 14 genera. This Special Issue intends to provide an update on all aspects of geminivirus research, including basic aspects of their infection cycle and interactions with the host, interactions with DNA satellites, their ecology and evolution, management strategies, and the increasing diversity of the family Geminiviridae.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Murilo Zerbini
Prof. Dr. Elizabeth P. B. Fontes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • replication
  • cell cycle
  • gene silencing
  • antiviral defense
  • variability
  • recombination
  • molecular evolution
  • disease management
  • genetic diversity

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 1995 KiB  
Article
A Coiled-Coil Nucleotide-Binding Domain Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor Gene MeRPPL1 Plays a Role in the Replication of a Geminivirus in Cassava
by Elelwani Ramulifho and Chrissie Rey
Viruses 2024, 16(6), 941; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16060941 - 11 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 884
Abstract
Disease resistance gene (R gene)-encoded nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs) are critical players in plant host defence mechanisms because of their role as receptors that recognise pathogen effectors and trigger plant effector-triggered immunity (ETI). This study aimed to determine the putative role of [...] Read more.
Disease resistance gene (R gene)-encoded nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs) are critical players in plant host defence mechanisms because of their role as receptors that recognise pathogen effectors and trigger plant effector-triggered immunity (ETI). This study aimed to determine the putative role of a cassava coiled-coil (CC)-NLR (CNL) gene MeRPPL1 (Manes.12G091600) (single allele) located on chromosome 12 in the tolerance or susceptibility to South African cassava mosaic virus (SACMV), one of the causal agents of cassava mosaic disease (CMD). A transient protoplast system was used to knock down the expression of MeRPPL1 by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9). The MeRPPL1-targeting CRISPR vectors and/or SACMV DNA A and DNA B infectious clones were used to transfect protoplasts isolated from leaf mesophyll cells from the SACMV-tolerant cassava (Manihot esculenta) cultivar TME3. The CRISPR/Cas9 silencing vector significantly reduced MeRPPL1 expression in protoplasts whether with or without SACMV co-infection. Notably, SACMV DNA A replication was higher in protoplasts with lower MeRPPL1 expression levels than in non-silenced protoplasts. Mutagenesis studies revealed that protoplast co-transfection with CRISPR-MeRPPL1 silencing vector + SACMV and transfection with only SACMV induced nucleotide substitution mutations that led to altered amino acids in the highly conserved MHD motif of the MeRPPL1-translated polypeptide. This may abolish or alter the regulatory role of the MHD motif in controlling R protein activity and could contribute to the increase in SACMV-DNA A accumulation observed in MeRPPL1-silenced protoplasts. The results herein demonstrate for the first time a role for a CNL gene in tolerance to a geminivirus in TME3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geminiviruses 2023)
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2577 KiB  
Article
Specific Nucleotides in the Common Region of the Begomovirus Tomato Rugose Mosaic Virus (ToRMV) Are Responsible for the Negative Interference over Tomato Severe Rugose Virus (ToSRV) in Mixed Infection
by Angélica M. Nogueira, Tarsiane M. C. Barbosa, Ayane F. F. Quadros, Anelise F. Orílio, Marcela C. J. Bigão, César A. D. Xavier, Camila G. Ferro and Francisco Murilo Zerbini
Viruses 2023, 15(10), 2074; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15102074 - 11 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1210
Abstract
Mixed infection between two or more begomoviruses is commonly found in tomato fields and can affect disease outcomes by increasing symptom severity and viral accumulation compared with single infection. Viruses that affect tomato include tomato severe rugose virus (ToSRV) and tomato rugose mosaic [...] Read more.
Mixed infection between two or more begomoviruses is commonly found in tomato fields and can affect disease outcomes by increasing symptom severity and viral accumulation compared with single infection. Viruses that affect tomato include tomato severe rugose virus (ToSRV) and tomato rugose mosaic virus (ToRMV). Previous work showed that in mixed infection, ToRMV negatively affects the infectivity and accumulation of ToSRV. ToSRV and ToRMV share a high degree of sequence identity, including cis-elements in the common region (CR) and their specific recognition sites (iteron-related domain, IRD) within the Rep gene. Here, we investigated if divergent sites in the CR and IRD are involved in the interaction between these two begomoviruses. ToSRV clones were constructed containing the same nucleotides as ToRMV in the CR (ToSRV-A(ToR:CR)), IRD (ToSRV-A(ToR:IRD)) and in both regions (ToSRV-A(ToR:CR+IRD)). When plants were co-inoculated with ToRMV and ToSRV-A(ToR:IRD), the infectivity and accumulation of ToSRV were negatively affected. In mixed inoculation of ToRMV with ToSRV-A(ToR:CR), high infectivity of both viruses and high DNA accumulation of ToSRV-A(ToR:CR) were observed. A decrease in viral accumulation was observed in plants inoculated with ToSRV-A(ToR:CR+IRD). These results indicate that differences in the CR, but not the IRD, are responsible for the negative interference of ToRMV on ToSRV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geminiviruses 2023)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 6049 KiB  
Article
Identification of Markers Associated with Wheat Dwarf Virus (WDV) Tolerance/Resistance in Barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare) Using Genome-Wide Association Studies
by Behnaz Soleimani, Heike Lehnert, Sarah Trebing, Antje Habekuß, Frank Ordon, Andreas Stahl and Torsten Will
Viruses 2023, 15(7), 1568; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15071568 - 18 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1798
Abstract
Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) causes an important vector transmitted virus disease, which leads to significant yield losses in barley production. Due to the fact that, at the moment, no plant protection products are approved to combat the vector Psammotettix alienus, and this [...] Read more.
Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) causes an important vector transmitted virus disease, which leads to significant yield losses in barley production. Due to the fact that, at the moment, no plant protection products are approved to combat the vector Psammotettix alienus, and this disease cannot be controlled by chemical means, the use of WDV-resistant or -tolerant genotypes is the most efficient method to control and reduce the negative effects of WDV on barley growth and production. In this study, a set of 480 barley genotypes were screened to identify genotypic differences in response to WDV, and five traits were assessed under infected and noninfected conditions. In total, 32 genotypes showed resistance or tolerance to WDV. Subsequently, phenotypic data of 191 out of 480 genotypes combined with 34,408 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used for a genome-wide association study to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and markers linked to resistance/tolerance to WDV. Genomic regions significantly associated with WDV resistance/tolerance in barley were identified on chromosomes 3H, 4H, 5H, and 7H for traits such as relative virus titer, relative performance of total grain weight, plant height, number of ears per plant, and thousand grain weight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geminiviruses 2023)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 2414 KiB  
Article
Distinct Red Blotch Disease Epidemiological Dynamics in Two Nearby Vineyards
by Madison T. Flasco, Elizabeth J. Cieniewicz, Sarah J. Pethybridge and Marc F. Fuchs
Viruses 2023, 15(5), 1184; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051184 - 17 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5209
Abstract
Grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) causes red blotch disease and is transmitted by the three-cornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus. GRBV isolates belong to a minor phylogenetic clade 1 and a predominant clade 2. Spatiotemporal disease dynamics were monitored in a 1-hectare ‘Merlot’ [...] Read more.
Grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) causes red blotch disease and is transmitted by the three-cornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus. GRBV isolates belong to a minor phylogenetic clade 1 and a predominant clade 2. Spatiotemporal disease dynamics were monitored in a 1-hectare ‘Merlot’ vineyard planted in California in 2015. Annual surveys first revealed disease onset in 2018 and a 1.6% disease incidence in 2022. Ordinary runs and phylogenetic analyses documented significant aggregation of vines infected with GRBV clade 1 isolates in one corner of the vineyard (Z = −4.99), despite being surrounded by clade 2 isolates. This aggregation of vines harboring isolates from a non-prevalent clade is likely due to infected rootstock material at planting. GRBV clade 1 isolates were predominant in 2018–2019 but displaced by clade 2 isolates in 2021–2022, suggesting an influx of the latter isolates from outside sources. This study is the first report of red blotch disease progress immediately after vineyard establishment. A nearby 1.5-hectare ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ vineyard planted in 2008 with clone 4 (CS4) and 169 (CS169) vines was also surveyed. Most CS4 vines that exhibited disease symptoms one-year post-planting, likely due to infected scion material, were aggregated (Z = −1.73). GRBV isolates of both clades were found in the CS4 vines. Disease incidence was only 1.4% in non-infected CS169 vines in 2022 with sporadic infections of isolates from both clades occurring via secondary spread. Through disentangling GRBV infections due to the planting material and S. festinus-mediated transmission, this study illustrated how the primary virus source influences epidemiological dynamics of red blotch disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geminiviruses 2023)
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1226 KiB  
Article
Influence of Climatic Variables on Incidence of Whitefly-Transmitted Begomovirus in Soybean and Bean Crops in North-Western Argentina
by Pablo Reyna, Franco Suarez, Mónica Balzarini and Patricia Rodriguez Pardina
Viruses 2023, 15(2), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15020462 - 7 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1542
Abstract
Over the last 20 years, begomoviruses have emerged as devastating pathogens, limiting the production of different crops worldwide. Weather conditions increase vector populations, with negative effects on crop production. In this work we evaluate the relationship between the incidence of begomovirus and weather [...] Read more.
Over the last 20 years, begomoviruses have emerged as devastating pathogens, limiting the production of different crops worldwide. Weather conditions increase vector populations, with negative effects on crop production. In this work we evaluate the relationship between the incidence of begomovirus and weather before and during the crop cycle. Soybean and bean fields from north-western (NW) Argentina were monitored between 2001 and 2018 and classified as moderate (≤50%) or severe (>50%) according to the begomovirus incidence. Bean golden mosaic virus (BGMV) and soybean blistering mosaic virus (SbBMV) were the predominant begomovirus in bean and soybean crops, respectively. Nearly 200 bio-meteorological variables were constructed by summarizing climatic variables in 10-day periods from July to November of each crop year. The studied variables included temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, wind (speed and direction), pressure, cloudiness, and visibility. For bean, high maximum winter temperatures, low spring humidity, and precipitation 10 days before planting correlated with severe incidence. In soybeans, high temperatures in late winter and in the pre-sowing period, and low spring precipitations were found to be good predictors of high incidence of begomovirus. The results suggest that temperature and pre-sowing precipitations can be used to predict the incidence status [predictive accuracy: 80% (bean) and 75% (soybean)]. Thus, these variables can be incorporated in early warning systems for crop management decision-making to reduce the virus impact on bean and soybean crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geminiviruses 2023)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

18 pages, 1356 KiB  
Review
Begomovirus–Host Interactions: Viral Proteins Orchestrating Intra and Intercellular Transport of Viral DNA While Suppressing Host Defense Mechanisms
by Sâmera S. Breves, Fredy A. Silva, Nívea C. Euclydes, Thainá F. F. Saia, James Jean-Baptiste, Eugenio R. Andrade Neto and Elizabeth P. B. Fontes
Viruses 2023, 15(7), 1593; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15071593 - 21 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2400
Abstract
Begomoviruses, which belong to the Geminiviridae family, are intracellular parasites transmitted by whiteflies to dicotyledonous plants thatsignificantly damage agronomically relevant crops. These nucleus-replicating DNA viruses move intracellularly from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and then, like other plant viruses, cause disease by spreading [...] Read more.
Begomoviruses, which belong to the Geminiviridae family, are intracellular parasites transmitted by whiteflies to dicotyledonous plants thatsignificantly damage agronomically relevant crops. These nucleus-replicating DNA viruses move intracellularly from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and then, like other plant viruses, cause disease by spreading systemically throughout the plant. The transport proteins of begomoviruses play a crucial role in recruiting host components for the movement of viral DNA within and between cells, while exhibiting functions that suppress the host’s immune defense. Pioneering studies on species of the Begomovirus genus have identified specific viral transport proteins involved in intracellular transport, cell-to-cell movement, and systemic spread. Recent research has primarily focused on viral movement proteins and their interactions with the cellular host transport machinery, which has significantly expanded understanding on viral infection pathways. This review focuses on three components within this context: (i) the role of viral transport proteins, specifically movement proteins (MPs) and nuclear shuttle proteins (NSPs), (ii) their ability to recruit host factors for intra- and intercellular viral movement, and (iii) the suppression of antiviral immunity, with a particular emphasis on bipartite begomoviral movement proteins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geminiviruses 2023)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop