Research Projects

Geminiviruses, characterized by circular, single-stranded DNA genomes, are phytopathogens that exploit plant hormones to propagate. One of the most destructive species, Tomato leaf curl Gujarat virus (ToLCGV), causes tomato leaf curl disease, a major constraint for tomato cultivation in India. RNA viruses can manipulate ethylene biosynthesis and signaling to positively regulate viral accumulation and infection. However, the pro-viral role of ethylene signaling in plant DNA viruses like Geminiviruses has not been reported. A project proposal aims to investigate the role of ACCO and ERF in ToLCGV pathogenesis and develop genome-edited lines of tomatoes targeting these genes for developing tolerance to ToLCGV. The expected outcome is understanding the molecular mechanism of ethylene signaling involved in geminivirus pathogenesis and developing geminivirus-resistant tomato plants.