gD-Independent Superinfection Exclusion of Alphaherpesviruses.

Superinfection exclusion is a widely observed phenomenon initiated by a primary viral infection to prevent further viruses from infecting the same cell. The capacity for alphaherpesviruses to infect the same cell impacts rates of interviral recombination and disease. Interviral recombination allows genome diversification, facilitating the development of resistance to antiviral therapeutics and evasion of vaccine-mediated immune responses. Our results demonstrate superinfection exclusion occurs early, through a gD-independent process, and is important in the directed spread of infection. Identifying when and where in an infected host viral genomes are more likely to coinfect the same cell and generate viral recombinants will enhance the development of effective antiviral therapies and interventions.