Geminiviruses and their application in biotechnology

Being a major class of single-stranded DNA viruses, geminiviruses are mostly studied due to their catastrophic infectious effect on crops. These DNA viruses are characteristic for their ability in quickly multiplying viral genetic materials without integrating into the genome of plants, which makes them ideal for developing viral vectors for plants bioengineering. Geminivirus-derived vectors can be classified into expression vectors and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) vectors. Details of the design, construction, application and improvements of these geminivirus vectors are summarized and discussed.