IP Library Granted Patent US 9,115,380
Granted Patent B2
US 9,115,380 · App. 14/666,805 · Granted Aug 25, 2015

Kits and methods for generating 5′ capped RNA

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,115,380
App. No.
14/666,805
Granted
Aug 25, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to kits and methods for efficiently generating 5′ capped RNA having a modified cap nucleotide and for use of such modified-nucleotide-capped RNA molecules. In particular, the present invention provides kits and methods for capping RNA using a modified cap nucleotide and a capping enzyme system, such as poxvirus capping enzyme. The present invention finds use for in vitro production of 5′-capped RNA having a modified cap nucleotide and for in vitro or in vivo production of polypeptides by in vitro or in vivo translation of such modified-nucleotide-capped RNA. The invention also provides methods and kits for capturing or isolating uncapped RNA comprising primary RNA transcripts or RNA having a 5′-diphosphate, and methods and kits for using a capping enzyme system and modified cap nucleotides for labeling uncapped RNA comprising primary RNA transcripts or RNA having a 5′-diphosphate with detectable dye or enzyme moieties.

Claims (46)

1. A kit for obtaining a modified nucleotide-capped RNA comprising:

(a) a capping enzyme system comprising an RNA guanyltransferase; and

(b) a modified cap nucleotide, wherein the modified cap nucleotide:

i) is 3′-deoxyguanosine-5′-triphosphate or comprises a modified 2′- or 3′-deoxyguanosine-5′-triphosphate, wherein the 2′- or 3′-deoxy position of the sugar moiety is substituted by a group other than a hydroxyl group or a hydrogen, in particular wherein the 2′- or 3′-deoxy position of the sugar moiety is substituted with an amino, an azido, a fluorine, a methoxy, a thiol, or a mercapto group, or wherein the O 6 -oxygen of the guanine base is replaced with a thiol or mercapto group;

ii) comprises a modified guanosine-5′-triphosphate, wherein the 2′- or 3′-hydroxyl group of the ribose is substituted with an alkyl group, or wherein the O 6 -oxygen of the guanine is substituted with an alkyl group or is replaced with a thiol or mercapto group; or

iii) is selected from: N 1 -methyl-GTP; O 6 -methyl-GTP; 6-thio-GTP; 2′-O-methyl-GTP; 3′-O-methyl-GTP; 2′-amino-2′-dGTP; 3′-amino-3′-dGTP; 2′-azido-2′-dGTP; 3′-azido-3′-dGTP; 2′-F-2′-dGTP; 3′-F-3′-dGTP; 3′-dGTP; 2′-amino-2′,3′-ddGTP; 3′-amino-2′,3′-ddGTP; 2′-azido-2′,3′-ddGTP; and 3′-azido-2′,3′-ddGTP.

2. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the RNA guanyltransferase comprises a motif I that exhibits the amino acid sequence KTDG(I/V)x, wherein the sixth amino acid of said motif I is P, G, F, S or L.

3. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising uncapped RNA that exhibits a 5′ diphosphate.

4. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising polypeptide having RNA triphosphatase activity.

5. The kit of claim 4 , further comprising uncapped RNA that exhibits a 5′ triphosphate.

6. The kit of claim 5 , wherein the uncapped RNA is:

(i) a primary RNA transcript from a human or animal patient, from a human, animal, plant, or fungal organism, organ, tissue, or cell, or from extracellular fluid from a patient or organism with a condition;

(ii) primary RNA from an in vitro transcription reaction;

(iii) obtained following fractionation of RNA from a biological source by subtractive hybridization and digestion, and RNA amplification that yields sense RNA;

(iv) primary RNA from a prokaryotic source;

(v) derived from a condition comprising a tumor or cancer cell; or

(vi) derived from a pathogen, or from a eukaryotic cell that is infected by a bacterial, viral or fungal pathogen.

7. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising S-adenosyl-methionine or S-adenosyl-ethionine.

8. The kit of claim 7 , further comprising polypeptide having guanine-7-methyltransferase activity.

9. The kit of claim 8 , further comprising modified-nucleotide capped RNA, wherein the 5′ cap nucleotide comprises a modified guanine nucleoside-5′-triphosphate of claim 1 (b).

10. The kit of claim 9 , further comprising an enzyme having mRNA (nucleoside-2′-O—) methyltransferase activity.

11. The kit of claim 10 , wherein the enzyme having mRNA (nucleoside-2′-O—) methyltransferase activity is:

(i) encoded by a poxvirus DNA;

(ii) encoded a vaccinia virus DNA;

(iii) is purified from virions;

(iv) is purified from a recombinant source;

(v) is purified from E. coli cells that express a poxvirus gene that is cloned in a plasmid or other vector;

(vi) is purified from E. coli cells that express the vaccinia gene that is cloned in a plasmid or other vector;

(vii) is encoded by a yeast or fungal gene; or is encoded by a nematode, mammalian or other metazoan gene, whether from a wild-type or recombinant source.

12. The kit of claim 9 , wherein the modified-nucleotide capped RNA exhibits a cap with a cap1 structure, wherein the 5′ penultimate nucleotide has a 2′-O-methyl group.

13. The kit of claim 1 further comprising poly(A) polymerase.

14. The kit of claim 13 , wherein said poly(A) polymerase is

(i) Escherichia coli poly(A) polymerase;

(ii) yeast poly(A) polymerase; or

(iii) is recombinant poly(A) polymerase encoded by the E. coli pcnB gene.

15. The kit of claim 9 , wherein the modified-nucleotide capped RNA further exhibits a poly(A) tail.

16. The kit of claim 12 , wherein the modified-nucleotide capped RNA that exhibits a cap with a cap1 structure further exhibits a poly(A) tail.

17. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising a component that improves the efficiency of capping uncapped RNA that forms a duplex involving at least the 5′-terminal nucleotide, wherein said component consists of at least one of the following:

(i) dimethylglycine (betaine);

(ii) a single-stranded binding protein;

(iii) an RNA helicase;

(iv) an RNA polymerase; or

(v) a DNA polymerase.

18. The kit of claim 9 , wherein the modified-nucleotide capped RNA further comprises a biotin moiety.

19. The kit of claim 12 , wherein the modified-nucleotide capped RNA that exhibits a cap with a cap1 structure further comprises a biotin moiety.

20. The kit of claim 15 , wherein the modified-nucleotide capped RNA that exhibits a poly(A) tail further comprises a biotin moiety.