Chapter 27 - Geminivirus infections co-opt posttranslational modification of proteins during viral pathogenesis

Abstract

One of the largest members of plant-infecting geminiviruses became a serious threat to global food security. As these viruses have limited coding potential, geminivirus-encoded proteins manipulate/modulate several cellular pathways to create a favorable environment to complete their life cycle. Posttranslational modification of proteins is attributed to the addition of covalent modifications such as acetylation, lipidation, phosphorylation, SUMOylation, and ubiquitination. The posttranslational modification of proteins plays a significant role in the regulation of several cellular activities. Plants also target viral proteins for posttranslational modifications to defend against their invading pathogens. Geminiviruses have evolved to manipulate the posttranslational modification of host proteins to help in counterdefending plant immune responses, and to facilitate virus movement, symptom development, and pathogenesis. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge of the utilization of posttranslational modification of proteins as defense and counterdefense strategies during plant–geminivirus interactions.