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.