Lipid Droplets in Virus Replication

Intracellular pathogens rely on host metabolic networks for multiplication. Enveloped viruses need lipids for formation of the viral envelope and positive sense RNA viruses that replicate in membranous inclusions require lipids for formation of the replication compartments. In addition, all intracellular pathogens need energy for their replicative cycle. As triglycerides in lipid droplets are the main energy storage unit of cells and major source of membrane lipids, it is not surprising that viruses have evolved various strategies to exploit different aspects of lipid droplet biology.