α-Herpesviruses exploit host ssDNA gap prevention pathways for GC-rich genome replication and reactivation.
Many α-herpesviruses, such as herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and pseudorabies virus, possess GC-rich genomes prone to forming G-quadruplex (G4) structures. However, the impact of these G4 structures on viral genome maintenance is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that G4s impede lagging strand DNA synthesis in the vir...