Efficient heterologous mRNA production in E. coli via protein-facilitated protection

Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutics have emerged as a new class of biological medicines, clearly exemplified by the global deployment of mRNA vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, therapeutic mRNA is primarily produced through in vitro transcription that suffers high production costs. Until now, intracellular manufacture of mRNA has been challenging due to the presence of ubiquitous RNases in vivo. Here, we have developed a new approach that protects eukaryotic mRNA from RNase degradation ensuring longevity and integrity of mRNA inside microbial cells. Through targeted strain and molecular engineering, our approach involves specially designed inserts in mRNA that facilitate formation of stabilized and protected protein-mRNA complexes. In addition to vastly improved stability, the protein-mRNA complexes enable convenient purification of mRNA from cell lysate with high purity using conventional chromatography. The work reported here promises a scalable, rapid, and low-cost approach to produce fully functional eukaryotic mRNA using well-known microbial systems.