Transmission of plant viruses is the result of interactions between a given virus, the host plant, and the vector. Most research has focused on molecular and cellular virus-vector interactions, and the host has only been regarded as a reservoir from which the virus is acquired by the vector more or less accidentally. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that the host can play a crucial role in transmission. Indeed, at least one virus, Cauliflower mosaic virus, exploits the host's cellular pathways to form specialized intracellular structures that optimize virus uptake by the vector and hence transmission.