Insect Transmission of Plant Single-Stranded DNA Viruses

Abstract

Of the approximately 1,200 plant virus species that have been described to date, nearly one-third are single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses, and all are transmitted by insect vectors. However, most studies of vector transmission of plant viruses have focused on RNA viruses. All known plant ssDNA viruses belong to two economically important families, Geminiviridae and Nanoviridae, and in recent years, there have been increased efforts to understand whether they have evolved similar relationships with their respective insect vectors. This review describes the current understanding of ssDNA virus–vector interactions, including how these viruses cross insect vector cellular barriers, the responses of vectors to virus circulation, the possible existence of viral replication within insect vectors, and the three-way virus–vector–plant interactions. Despite recent breakthroughs in our understanding of these viruses, many aspects of plant ssDNA virus transmission remain elusive. More effort is needed to identify insect proteins that mediate the transmission of plant ssDNA viruses and to understand the complex virus–insect–plant three-way interactions in the field during natural infection.