Cloning and sequencing of full-length cDNA of classical swine fever virus LPC strain.

The cDNAs of classical swine fever virus (LPC vaccine strain) were cloned by transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. In this work, we obtained the sequence information of the 786 bases of the 5'-terminal region, 6049 bases of the middle region, and 1648 bases of the 3'-terminal region. Taking our previous results and present data together, the entire genomic sequence of LPC strain was completed (12344 nucleotides in length). The genome of LPC has a large open reading frame that can encode a polypetide of 3897 amino acids, and are flanked by untranslated regions (UTR), 373 bases at the 5'-end and 278 bases at the 3'-end. Phylogenetic analysis based on genomic sequences of several viruses suggested that the LPC strain is closer to Chinese, Riems, HCLV, Alfort/187, Brescia, and Alfort strains in order. After further analysis, we found that an insertion of 13 nucleotides, TTT(C/T)CTTTTTTTT, in the 3'-UTR of LPC, Chinese, and HCLV strains. Immediately downstream to the 13 nucleotides, a unique sequence of LPC consisting of 28 thymidine was observed.