Tombusvirus-induced multivesicular bodies: Origin and role in virus-host interaction

Replication of positive-strand RNA viruses is commonly associated with extensive cell membrane proliferation and rearrangement and/or modification of some organelles of the infected hosts. These changes, which are induced by nonstructural proteins, provide the sites (e.g., vesicles or membrane invaginations) in which virus replication occurs. In plants infected by members of the genus Tombusvirus, this function is played by peculiar cytopathologic structures, called 'multivesicular bodies' (MVBs), that originate from heavily modified peroxisomes or mitochondria. The genesis, structural organization, and role of MVBs in the economy of tombusvirus infections are reviewed and commented upon. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.