Viruses, as obligate intracellular parasites, rely on a host cell for their persistence. To multiply, viruses must manipulate the host cell by hijacking, inhibiting, or repurposing its molecular machinery, thereby creating an environment conducive to viral replication. Typically, this task is achieved using only a handful of viral proteins encoded in the small-sized viral genome. This is evident in geminiviruses, plant viruses with circular single-stranded DNA genomes believed to encode only 4-8 viral proteins. Remarkably, despite their limited genetic arsenal, geminiviruses can establish systemic infections, alter plant development and physiology, manipulate the behaviour of their insect vectors, and cause devastating diseases to crops worldwide. How these viruses invade and manipulate their plant hosts using only a handful of proteins is a long-standing, intriguing question. In our research group, we aim to understand how geminiviruses exploit plant cells and cause disease, for which we employ a combination of molecular biology, cell biology, and genetics. Our findings have shed light onto the molecular mechanisms underlying viral DNA replication, plant antiviral defense, geminiviral counter-defense, and symptom development. In addition, our research suggests novel virulence strategies that geminiviruses may employ to maximize their coding space and their impact on the host. We expect that our work will contribute to a deeper understanding of the viral infection, both in plants and other kingdoms of life, which may in turn pave the way to the design of effective and sustainable anti-viral strategies.
