Functions and interactions of mastrevirus gene products

The genus Mastrevirus of the family Geminiviridae comprises viruses that have single-stranded DNA genomes and infect dicotyledonous or monocotyledonous hosts. Since mastrevirus genomes are small, they have had to evolve complex mechanisms for increasing their protein coding potential and regulating their gene expression. Nevertheless, the viruses rely on host components for many aspects of their replication, transcription, and cell-to-cell movement. Over the last two decades, diverse scientific approaches have increased our knowledge of mastrevirus gene function. This review describes how these approaches have elucidated the functions of the mastrevirus-encoded proteins and describes the viral protein-protein interactions necessary for completion of the virus infection cycle. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.