Plus-stranded RNA viruses induce membrane deformations in infected cells in order to build viral replication complexes (VRCs).One of the intriguing aspects of VRC formation is the need for extensive subcellular membrane deformations. Accordingly, (ϩ)RNA viruses replicate in various membranous structures that could be formed from various membranes, such as endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, endosome, chloroplast, peroxisome, and plasma membranes, or induced de novo (1,(3)(4)(5). Membrane deformations are possibly induced by co-opted cellular phospholipid kinases, local enrichment of sterols, and subverted membrane-bending proteins, such as ESCRT factors, reticulons, and amphiphysins (6-12).A major type of subcellular membrane deformation induced by some (ϩ)RNA viruses is represented by vesicle-like small invaginations with single narrow openings toward the cytosol (13,14). These structures, called spherules, contain the membranebound VRCs consisting of viral and co-opted cellular proteins in the infected cells (1)(2)(3)(15)(16)(17)(18). The membranous spherule structures sequester all the replication factors into a confined cytosolic area and likely protect the fragile viral (ϩ)RNA from degradation