Essential component of the RNA polymerase transcription and replication complex. Binds the viral ribonucleocapsid and positions the L polymerase on the template (By similarity). Partially edited. RNA editing at this position consists of an insertion of one or two guanine nucleotides. The sequence displayed here is the P protein, derived from the unedited RNA. The edited RNA gives rise to the V protein (+1G) (AC O55777), and the W protein (+2G) (AC P0C1C6). The P/V/C gene has two overlapping open reading frames. One encodes the P/V/W proteins and the other the C protein.