The classic swine fever virus (CSFV) core protein can enhance de novo-initiated RNA synthesis by the CSFV polymerase NS5B.

Study of the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) replication is challenging because it is a BSL-3-Ag pathogen that requires specialized facilities. We developed a cell-based assay in human embryonic kidney 293T cells that can quantify the activities of NS5B, the CSFV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The 5BR assay uses transiently-expressed CSFV NS5B to produce RNAs that activate the RIG-I-mediated signaling pathway to result in reporter protein production. Upon co-expression of the CSFV core protein, we observed enhancement of the CSFV RdRp activity. The CSFV core and NS5B proteins could co-immunoprecipitate with each other and co-localize in cells, when visualized by confocal microscopy. Analyses of combinations of RdRps and capsid proteins from different viruses demonstrated that the CSFV core could enhance the CSFV NS5B activity in a virus species-specific manner. Studies of truncated versions of CSFV core demonstrated that the first 30 residues of core protein are dispensable for interaction with the CSFV NS5B. Purified core protein could enhance RNA synthesis by the purified NS5B in vitro, with the increase being in the synthesis of the de novo-initiated RNA. These results demonstrate that the CSFV core protein can regulate the mechanism of RNA synthesis by the CSFV RdRp.