IP Library Granted Patent US 12,492,420
Granted Patent B2
US 12,492,420 · App. 19/095,861 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Compositions, kits, and methods for in vitro transcription

Inventors: Dillon B. Nye (Somerville, MA); Jennifer L. Curcuru (Gloucester, MA); Tien-Hao Chen (Wakefield, MA); Lili Mitchell (Ipswich, MA); Ivan R. Correa, Jr. (Hamilton, MA)
C12P21/00C12N9/1007C12N9/1247C12N15/52C12Y207/07006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,492,420
App. No.
19/095,861
Filed
Mar 31, 2025
Granted
Dec 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1656
USPC
435/91.3
Abstract

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to cold-active RNA polymerases, variants thereof, compositions and kits comprising cold-active RNA polymerases, and methods of using cold-active RNA polymerases. Cold-active polymerases may have, for example, an amino acid sequence ≥90%, ≥91%, ≥92%, ≥93%, ≥94%, ≥95%, ≥96%, ≥97%, ≥98%, ≥99% identical (e.g., ≥95% or ≥98% identical) to any of SEQ ID NOS: 1-19 and optionally may have at least one substitution relative to SEQ ID NO:1.

Claims (39)

1 . A composition comprising:

a cold-active RNA polymerase having an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to any of SEQ ID NOS: 1, 5, 6, 8-10, 12, 13, 18, and 19; and

a capping enzyme,

wherein the cold-active RNA polymerase is a non-naturally occurring cold-active RNA polymerase or a cold-active RNA polymerase of Pseudomonas phage Njord, Pseudomonas phage uligo, Vibrio phage φA318, Vibrio phage Vp670, Vibrio phage Vc1 , Vibrio phage VEN, and the capping enzyme is a non-naturally occurring capping enzyme or a capping enzyme of Faustovirus, mimivirus, or moumouvirus.

2 . A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerase comprises at least one conservative substitution relative to SEQ ID NO:1.

3 . A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amino acid sequence of the polymerase is less than 100% identical to SEQ ID NOS: 1, 5, 6, 8-10, 12, and 13 and/or wherein the amino acid sequence of the polymerase is 100% identical to SEQ ID NO:17.

4 . A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerase is immobilized to a support or the capping enzyme is immobilized to a support or the polymerase and the capping enzyme are each immobilized to a separate support or the polymerase and the capping enzyme are each immobilized to a common support.

5 . A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerase and the capping enzyme are included in a fusion comprising, in an N-terminal to C-terminal direction, (a) the polymerase and the capping enzyme or (b) the capping enzyme and the polymerase.

6 . A composition according to claim 5 , wherein the fusion further comprises a linker between the polymerase and the capping enzyme.

7 . A composition according to claim 1 further comprising one or more of:

guanosine triphosphate (GTP) or modified GTP;

a methyl group donor;

a 2′ O-methyltransferase; and

a buffering agent.

8 . A composition according to claim 1 further comprising a polynucleotide template comprising, in a 5′ to 3′ direction, a promoter corresponding to the polymerase and a sequence of interest.

9 . A composition according to claim 8 , wherein the promoter has a nucleotide sequence according to one of SEQ ID NOS: 31-34, 35-37, and 39-41 and/or wherein the sequence of interest comprises a coding sequence.

10 . A composition according to claim 1 further comprising a polyribonucleotide product of the polymerase, wherein the product has fewer double-stranded RNA molecules than a polyribonucleotide product of T7 RNA polymerase having the same nucleotide sequence.

11 . A composition according to claim 1 further comprising at least one of a buffering agent and/or a polyamine.

12 . A composition according to claim 11 , wherein the buffering agent comprises HEPES, MES, MOPS, TAPS, tricine, Tris, ACES, ADA, BES, Bicine, CAPS, carbonic acid/bicarbonic acid, CHES, citric acid, DIPSO, EPPS, histidine, MOPSO, phosphoric acid, PIPES, POPSO, TAPS, TAPSO, or triethanolamine.

13 . A composition according to claim 11 , wherein the polyamine comprises spermidine, spermine, putrescine, polyethylenimine, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane, cyclen, ethylenediamine, or 1, 3, 5,-triazinane.

14 . A method comprising:

(a) contacting:

(i) a composition according to claim 1 ;

(ii) a polynucleotide template comprising an expression control sequence of the RNA polymerase and a coding sequence encoding an artificial transcript, the coding sequence operably linked to the expression control sequence; and

(iii) ribonucleotide triphosphates,

to produce the artificial transcript.

15 . A method according to claim 14 further comprising:

(b) contacting the artificial transcript with the capping enzyme and one or more of

(i) guanosine triphosphate (GTP) or modified GTP, (ii) a methyl group donor, (iii) a 2′ O-methyltransferase, and (iv) a buffering agent,

to produce a capped artificial transcript.

16 . A method comprising contacting:

(a) a composition according to claim 1 ;

(b) a polynucleotide template comprising an expression control sequence of the RNA polymerase and a coding sequence encoding an artificial transcript, the coding sequence operably linked to the expression control sequence;

(c) ribonucleotide triphosphates;

(d) guanosine triphosphate (GTP) or modified GTP;

(e) a methyl group donor;

(f) a 2′ O-methyltransferase; and

(g) a buffering agent,

to produce the artificial transcript, wherein the artificial transcript is capped.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2026
From: NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 074795/0566 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2025
From: NYE, DILLON B.; CURCURU, JENNIFER; CHEN, TIEN-HAO; MITCHELL, LILI; CORREA, IVAN R., JR.
To: NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 072018/0087 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63571752 · Mar 29, 2024
Related Publication 20250305019A1 · Oct 2, 2025
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