Masters of manipulation: how do positive-sense RNA viruses employ plant proteins to replicate, move from cell to cell, and overcome antiviral immunity?

(+)RNA viruses are skilled masters of manipulating cellular proteins to complete essential steps of virus infection: (1) translation and replication of viral (+)RNA; (2) virus movement to adjacent and distant cells; and (3) escape from plant defense. Immediately upon reaching the plant's cytoplasm, viruses recruit plant translation factors to synthesize viral proteins and then replicate viral RNA. Subsequently, viruses need to move from the initial infected cell to neighboring cells and eventually to vascular tissues for systemic infection establishment. To succeed, viruses must also subvert plant proteins to accomplish intercellular movement. During this infection event, plants recognize viral pathogens and initiate a defense. To evade plant defenses, viruses recruit plant proteins to shutdown plant defense and successfully establish infection. The purpose here is to review those plant proteins that are called "plant host factors" and how (+)RNA viruses utilize those factors to succeed. Current advances in the identification, characterization and knowledge have helped to gain important insight into the essential role that these host factors play in viral success. In turn, to the development of viral resistant plants. This knowledge can be beneficial in the identification of targets for gene editing to engineer resistance against plant viruses.