The organization and dynamics of viral factories
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- 2Physics Institute of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
- 3Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
- 4Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Abstract
Viral factories (VFs) are dynamic, virus-induced microcompartments that serve as centralized hubs in the host cell for viral genome replication, transcription, and virion assembly. These structures employ unique viral mechanisms for remodeling cellular architecture to create specialized replication organelles and improve the efficiency of viral propagation. VFs exhibit striking structural and functional diversity among RNA and DNA viruses, from reoviruses and poxviruses to the Nucleocytoviricota phylum. Some are enclosed by host-derived membranes, while others exist as biomolecular condensates from liquid–liquid phase separation. VFs recruit host lipids, cytoskeletal elements, and metabolic enzymes, effectively reprogramming the intracellular environment to favor viral replication. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the molecular composition, ultrastructure, and biogenesis of viral factories across a wide range of viral lineages and host systems. We describe membrane-bound and phase-separated VFs and the mechanisms by which they hijack host machinery to create these replication organelles and explore viral strategies to shield replication intermediates from host immune responses. Additional emphasis is placed on the complex VFs formed by giant viruses in the Nucleocytoviricota, whose ability to spatially compartmentalize replication and transcription, exclude ribosomes, and recruit host mitochondria and membranes blurs the line between viral and cellular organization. By integrating findings from cell biology and evolutionary virology, this review proposes that viral factories offer a conceptual framework for understanding virus–host coevolution and provides new insights into how their organization may have shaped the emergence of eukaryotic complexity.
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BibTeX
@article{brittain2026organization,
title = {{The organization and dynamics of viral factories}},
author = {Kathryn Steele Brittain and Leonardo Martins Delfino and Otavio Henrique Thiemann and Juliana R. Cortines and Kristin N. Parent},
journal = {Journal of Virology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1128/jvi.00892-26},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00892-26},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The organization and dynamics of viral factories
AU - Kathryn Steele Brittain
AU - Leonardo Martins Delfino
AU - Otavio Henrique Thiemann
AU - Juliana R. Cortines
AU - Kristin N. Parent
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/14
JO - Journal of Virology
DO - 10.1128/jvi.00892-26
UR - https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00892-26
AB - Viral factories (VFs) are dynamic, virus-induced microcompartments that serve as centralized hubs in the host cell for viral genome replication, transcription, and virion assembly. These structures employ unique viral mechanisms for remodeling cellular architecture to create specialized replication organelles and improve the efficiency of viral propagation. VFs exhibit striking structural and functional diversity among RNA and DNA viruses, from reoviruses and poxviruses to the Nucleocytoviricota phylum. Some are enclosed by host-derived membranes, while others exist as biomolecular condensates from liquid–liquid phase separation. VFs recruit host lipids, cytoskeletal elements, and metabolic enzymes, effectively reprogramming the intracellular environment to favor viral replication. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the molecular composition, ultrastructure, and biogenesis of viral factories across a wide range of viral lineages and host systems. We describe membrane-bound and phase-separated VFs and the mechanisms by which they hijack host machinery to create these replication organelles and explore viral strategies to shield replication intermediates from host immune responses. Additional emphasis is placed on the complex VFs formed by giant viruses in the Nucleocytoviricota, whose ability to spatially compartmentalize replication and transcription, exclude ribosomes, and recruit host mitochondria and membranes blurs the line between viral and cellular organization. By integrating findings from cell biology and evolutionary virology, this review proposes that viral factories offer a conceptual framework for understanding virus–host coevolution and provides new insights into how their organization may have shaped the emergence of eukaryotic complexity.
SN - 0022-538X
SN - 1098-5514
ER -