Abstract
Geminiviruses consist of a single-stranded DNA genome that replicates by a rolling circle (RCR) and recombination-dependent (RDR) modes of replication. The AC1 or Rep is the indispensable viral protein required for the RCR mode of replication. Since these viruses encode only a few proteins, they depend on several host factors for replication, transcription, and other physiological processes. To get insights into the repertoire of host factors influencing the replication of geminiviruses, we performed phage display experiments which led to the identification of putative mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV) Rep interacting host proteins. These proteins might directly or indirectly participate in geminivirus biology. MCM3 was one of the Rep-interacting partners obtained in the phage display results. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), the interaction of the MYMIV Rep with Arabidopsis thaliana MCM3 (AtMCM3) was confirmed. We report the involvement of AtMCM3 in the replication of MYMIV DNA through an ex vivo system. The physiological relevance of the interaction between AtMCM3 and MYMIV Rep is reflected by yeast replication assay.