Viruses are representative of a global threat to agricultural production. Genetic resistance is the preferred strategy for the control of viral infection and against loss of crop yield. Viral protein synthesis requires host cellular factors for translating their viral RNAs, and for regulating their replication and cell to cell systemic movement. Therefore, the viruses are dependent on cellular translation factors. Mutations in the gene encoding eIF4E and eIF4G or their isoforms, eIFiso4E, eIFiso4G and eIF2Bβ have been mapped as a source of plant potyvirus while other genus of plant virus recessive resistance genes in many species are originated from these loci. Some of other plant translation factors, such as eIF3, eIF4A-like helicases, eEF1A and eEF1B, which are required in interacting with viral RNAs and regulating various aspects of the infection cycle, have also been identified. Here, we summarized the mechanisms utilized by RNA viruses of eukaryotic plants and the essential roles of eIFs in virus infection. Moreover, we discussed the potential of eIFs as a target gene in the development of genetic resistance to viruses for crop improvement. This review highlighted newly revealed examples of abnormal translational strategies and provided insights into natural host resistance mechanisms that have been linked to 3′ cap-independent translational enhancer activity.

病毒代表了对农业生产的全球威胁。遗传抗性是控制病毒感染和防止作物减产的首选策略。病毒蛋白合成需要宿主细胞因子来翻译其病毒RNA，并调节其复制和细胞间的系统性运动。因此，病毒依赖于细胞翻译因子。已经将编码eIF4E和eIF4G或其同工型，eIFiso4E，eIFiso4G和eIF2Bβ的基因中的突变定位为植物马铃薯病毒的来源而许多物种中植物病毒隐性抗性基因的其他属也来自这些基因座。还已经确定了一些其他植物翻译因子，例如与病毒RNA相互作用和调节感染周期各个方面所需的eIF3，eIF4A样解旋酶，eEF1A和eEF1B。在这里，我们总结了真核植物RNA病毒利用的机制以及eIF在病毒感染中的重要作用。此外，我们讨论了eIF的潜力在发展对农作物的病毒的遗传抗性中作为靶基因。这篇综述突出了新近揭示的异常翻译策略的实例，并提供了对天然宿主抗性机制的见解，该机制已与3'帽非依赖性翻译增强子活性相关。