| ABSTRACT: Insect-transmitted viruses cause some of the most damaging and economically important diseases of crop plants, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. The geminiviruses, a group of single-stranded DNA viruses with unique twined icosahedral virus particles, are responsible for many of these diseases. Of particular importance are the geminiviruses transmitted by whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), which are in the genus Begomovirus. This is the largest genus of plant viruses (in terms of number of species), and some are responsible for many devastating diseases in vegetable and fiber crops throughout the world. This review presents the current understanding of begomoviruses, the diseases they cause, and approaches for disease management. An... |
