How Viruses Hijack and Modify the Secretory Transport Pathway

Eukaryotic cells contain dynamic membrane-bound organelles that are constantly remodeled in response to physiological and environmental cues. Key organelles are the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus and the plasma membrane, which are interconnected by vesicular traffic through the secretory transport route. Numerous viruses, especially enveloped viruses, use and modify compartments of the secretory pathway to promote their replication, assembly and cell egression by hijacking the host cell machinery. In some cases, the subversion mechanism has been uncovered. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of how the secretory pathway is subverted and exploited by viruses belonging to Picornaviridae, Coronaviridae, Flaviviridae, Poxviridae, Parvoviridae and Herpesviridae families.

Automated summary

Eukaryotic cells contain dynamic membrane-bound organelles like the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and plasma membrane, interconnected by vesicular traffic. Viruses exploit these organelles in the secretory pathway for their own replication, assembly, and infection, hijacking the host cell machinery.