Re-adenylation by TENT5A enhances efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines
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Despite their widespread use, intracellular studies of mRNA vaccines have been limited. Using direct RNA Oxford Nanopore sequencing, researchers uncovered a novel mechanism enhancing mRNA vaccine performance: re-adenylation by TENT5A. This enzyme extends mRNA poly-A tails to boost mRNA stability and antigen production. This study showcases how nanopore sequencing enables real-time, single-molecule insights into mRNA metabolism — offering a strategy to improve future RNA-based therapeutics.
Key points:
Krawczyk et al. used Oxford Nanopore direct RNA sequencing to study the poly-A tails of individual therapeutic mRNA molecules
The results showed that therapeutic mRNAs can have their poly-A tails extended within cells. This increases their stability and production of coded antigens, potentially explaining the efficacy of existing mRNA vaccines
By exploring the immune response to mRNA vaccination, they identified the biological mechanism for the poly-A extension — re-adenylation by TENT5A
The findings reveal a principal that could be harnessed to improve the efficacy of mRNA therapeutics in the future
Sample type: mouse tissue
Kit: cDNA-PCR Barcoding Kit, cDNA-PCR Sequencing Kit, Direct RNA Sequencing Kit