Geminiviruses and Food Security: A Molecular Genetics Perspective for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa

Minenhle Felicia Zenda; Priscilla Masamba; Farhahna Allie; Abidemi Paul Kappo

doi:10.3390/plants13192768

Geminiviruses and Food Security: A Molecular Genetics Perspective for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa

Minenhle Felicia Zenda
, Priscilla Masamba
, Farhahna Allie
, Abidemi Paul Kappo

Biochemistry

University of Johannesburg

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The African continent is vulnerable to food insecurity. Increased food costs, job losses, and climate change force Africans to chronic hunger. Biotechnology can be used to mitigate this by using techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 systems, TALENs, and ZFNs. Biotechnology can utilize geminiviruses to deliver the necessary reagents for precise genome alteration. Additionally, plants infected with geminiviruses can withstand harsher weather conditions such as drought. Therefore, this article discusses geminivirus replication and its use as beneficial plant DNA viruses. It focuses explicitly on genome editing to increase plant resistance by manipulating plants’ salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways.

Original language	English
Article number	2768
Journal	Plants
Volume	13
Issue number	19
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192768
Publication status	Published - Oct 2024

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

Africa
Geminiviruses
agriculture
crop improvement
food security
genome editing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Ecology
Plant Science

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10.3390/plants13192768

Cite this

@article{e44b6df019224695aadf3132e7f3ff1c,

title = "Geminiviruses and Food Security: A Molecular Genetics Perspective for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa",

abstract = "The African continent is vulnerable to food insecurity. Increased food costs, job losses, and climate change force Africans to chronic hunger. Biotechnology can be used to mitigate this by using techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 systems, TALENs, and ZFNs. Biotechnology can utilize geminiviruses to deliver the necessary reagents for precise genome alteration. Additionally, plants infected with geminiviruses can withstand harsher weather conditions such as drought. Therefore, this article discusses geminivirus replication and its use as beneficial plant DNA viruses. It focuses explicitly on genome editing to increase plant resistance by manipulating plants{\textquoteright} salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways.",

keywords = "Africa, Geminiviruses, agriculture, crop improvement, food security, genome editing",

author = "Zenda, \{Minenhle Felicia\} and Priscilla Masamba and Farhahna Allie and Kappo, \{Abidemi Paul\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 by the authors.",

year = "2024",

month = oct,

doi = "10.3390/plants13192768",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

journal = "Plants",

issn = "2223-7747",

publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",

number = "19",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Geminiviruses and Food Security

T2 - A Molecular Genetics Perspective for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa

AU - Zenda, Minenhle Felicia

AU - Masamba, Priscilla

AU - Allie, Farhahna

AU - Kappo, Abidemi Paul

PY - 2024/10

Y1 - 2024/10

N2 - The African continent is vulnerable to food insecurity. Increased food costs, job losses, and climate change force Africans to chronic hunger. Biotechnology can be used to mitigate this by using techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 systems, TALENs, and ZFNs. Biotechnology can utilize geminiviruses to deliver the necessary reagents for precise genome alteration. Additionally, plants infected with geminiviruses can withstand harsher weather conditions such as drought. Therefore, this article discusses geminivirus replication and its use as beneficial plant DNA viruses. It focuses explicitly on genome editing to increase plant resistance by manipulating plants’ salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways.

AB - The African continent is vulnerable to food insecurity. Increased food costs, job losses, and climate change force Africans to chronic hunger. Biotechnology can be used to mitigate this by using techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 systems, TALENs, and ZFNs. Biotechnology can utilize geminiviruses to deliver the necessary reagents for precise genome alteration. Additionally, plants infected with geminiviruses can withstand harsher weather conditions such as drought. Therefore, this article discusses geminivirus replication and its use as beneficial plant DNA viruses. It focuses explicitly on genome editing to increase plant resistance by manipulating plants’ salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways.

KW - Africa

KW - Geminiviruses

KW - agriculture

KW - crop improvement

KW - food security

KW - genome editing

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85206568728

U2 - 10.3390/plants13192768

DO - 10.3390/plants13192768

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85206568728

SN - 2223-7747

VL - 13

JO - Plants

JF - Plants

IS - 19

M1 - 2768

ER -

Geminiviruses and Food Security: A Molecular Genetics Perspective for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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