Viruses rely on host lipid metabolic pathways for multiplication. Lipid droplets are the cellular storage organelles of neutral lipids and central hubs of lipid metabolism. Viruses exploit host lipid droplets as source for membrane lipids that form replication organelles or the envelope of virions or for energy to fulfil their replicative cycle. These findings are summarized in this Graphical Review.

Intracellular pathogens rely on host metabolic networks for multiplication. Enveloped viruses need lipids for formation of the viral envelope and positive sense RNA viruses that replicate in membranous inclusions require lipids for formation of the replication compartments. In addition, all intracellular pathogens need energy for their replicative cycle. As triglycerides in lipid droplets are the main energy storage unit of cells and major source of membrane lipids, it is not surprising that viruses have evolved various strategies to exploit different aspects of lipid droplet biology.