Modulation of lipid synthesis and trafficking pathways by picornaviruses

•Picornavirus infection induces activation of import of long chain fatty acids.•The imported fatty acids are diverted toward phosphatidylcholine synthesis.•Picornavirus replication organelles feature unique lipid composition.•Newly-synthesized phospholipids form membranous scaffold of replication organelles.

Picornaviruses include rapidly replicating viruses that may complete their infectious cycle within a few hours. During this short time the massive development of viral replication organelles completely transforms the cellular membrane landscape. The origin of these structures and mechanism(s) underlying their rapid expansion are still poorly understood. Recent studies revealed profound reorganization of synthesis and distribution of major structural lipids in infected cells. These data show that the lipid composition of the replication organelles is significantly different from that of preexisting cellular membranes. The apparently universal activation of specific lipid syntheses by diverse picornaviruses and at least some other (+)RNA viruses suggests that the mechanism(s) of replication organelle development may be conserved among distantly related viruses.