Genomic insight of plant pathogen, begomovirus and vector cross-talk: an emerging strategy to tackle the leaf curl disease.

Leaf curl disease predominantly caused by begomoviruses and transmitted by whiteflies, poses a severe threat to crop productivity worldwide. These viruses manipulate plant cellular mechanisms and undergo fast genomic evolution to adapt and evade host defense responses. Despite advances in plant-pathogen interaction reports, the integrated genomic insights into cross-talk among the pathogen, plant, and insect as vector remain limited. This review aims to explore the complex interactions between the virus, vector, and plant at the molecular level. It explains how vectors help in the spread of the disease and describes how plants use different layers of defence to protect themselves. These include transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing, protein kinase signalling, effector-triggered immunity, and changes in gene expression through epigenetic modifications. A precise attention is given to plant responses mediated by non-coding RNAs, mitochondrial & chloroplastidial genes, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Additionally, we highlight the virus’s counter-defense strategies that suppress or evade host immunity. The study identifies gaps in current genomic data, like limited understanding of vector and pathogen adaptability and underscores the need for integrated approaches to develop resistance. By analyzing existing defense mechanisms and viral tactics, this work offers insight into potential genomic targets for improving plant resistance against the leaf curl virus.