Feline coronavirus replication is affected by both cyclophilin A and cyclophilin B

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) causes the fatal disease feline infectious peritonitis, which is currently incurable by drug treatment, and no effective vaccines are available. Cyclosporin A (CsA), a cyclophilin (Cyp) inhibitor, inhibits the replication of FCoV in vitro and in vivo as well as the replication of human and animal coronaviruses. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of coronavirus replication by CsA is unknown. In this study, we analysed the role of Cyps in FCoV replication using knockdown and knockout cells specific to Cyps. Inhibition of CypA and CypB reduced FCoV replication, with replication in knockout cells being much less than that in knockdown cells. Furthermore, the proteins expressed by CypA and CypB harbouring mutations in their respective predicted peptidyl-prolyl cis–transisomerase active sites, which also alter the affinities between Cyps and CsA, inhibited FCoV replication. These findings indicate that the peptidyl-prolyl cis–transisomerase active sites of Cyps might be required for FCoV replication.