A Biocatalytic Cascade for Versatile One-Pot Modification of mRNA Starting from Methionine Analogues

Methyltransferases have proven useful to install functional groups site-specifically in different classes of biomolecules when analogues of their cosubstrate S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet) are available. Methyltransferases have been used to address different classes of RNA molecules selectively and site-specifically, which is indispensable for biophysical and mechanistic studies as well as labeling in the complex cellular environment. However, the AdoMet analogues are not cell-permeable, thus preventing implementation of this strategy in cells. We present a two-step enzymatic cascade for site-specific mRNA modification starting from stable methionine analogues. Our approach combines the enzymatic synthesis of AdoMet with modification of the 5' cap by a specific RNA methyltransferase in one pot. We demonstrate that a substrate panel including alkene, alkyne, and azido functionalities can be used and further derivatized in different types of click reactions.