Formation and Function of Liquid-Like Viral Factories in Negative-Sense Single-Stranded RNA Virus Infections

Abstract

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) represents a major physiochemical principle to organize intracellular membrane-less structures. Studies with non-segmented negative-sense (NNS) RNA viruses have uncovered a key role of LLPS in the formation of viral inclusion bodies (IBs), sites of viral protein concentration in the cytoplasm of infected cells. These studies further reveal the structural and functional complexity of viral IB factories and provide a foundation for their future research. Herein, we review the literature leading to the discovery of LLPS-driven formation of IBs in NNS RNA virus-infected cells and the identification of viral scaffold components involved, and then outline important questions and challenges for IB assembly and disassembly. We discuss the functional implications of LLPS in the life cycle of NNS RNA viruses and host responses to infection. Finally, we speculate on the potential mechanisms underlying IB maturation, a phenomenon relevant to many human diseases.