Roles for host factors in plant viral pathogenicity

The simple, obligate nature of viruses requires them to usurp or divert cellular resources, including host factors, away from their normal functions. The characterization of host proteins, membranes, and nucleic acids that are implicated in viral infection cycles, together with other recent discoveries, is providing fundamental clues about the molecular bases of viral susceptibility. As viruses invade susceptible plants, they create conditions that favor systemic infections by suppressing multiple layers of innate host defenses. When viruses meddle in these defense mechanisms, which are interlinked with basic cellular functions, phenotypic changes can result that contribute to disease symptoms.