Enzymatically-cleavable chemiluminescent fused polycyclic ring-containing 1,2-dioxetanes

Abstract

Abstract Chemiluminescent 1,2-dioxetane compounds are disclosed in which the molecule is stabilized at the 3-position on the dioxetane ring against decomposition prior to the molecule's coming in contact with a labile group-removing substance (e.g., an enzyme that will cleave the labile group to cause the molecule to decompose to form at least one light-emitting fluorophore) and substituted at the 4-position on the dioxetane ring with a fused polycyclic ring-containing fluorophore moiety bearing a labile ring substituent whose point of attachment to the fused polycyclic ring, in relation to this ring's point(s) of attachment to the dioxetane ring, is such that the total number of ring atoms separating these points of attachment, including the ring atoms at the points of attachment, is an odd whole number. These odd pattern substituted compounds decompose to emit light of greater intensity and of a different wavelength than that emitted by the corresponding even pattern substituted isomers. They are useful in detecting the presence or determining the concentration of chemical or biological substances in immunoassays, chemical assays and nucleic acid probe assays, and in chemical/physical probe procedures for studying the microstructures of macromolecules. Two or more of them can also be used in combination, or one or more of them can be used together with other chemiluminescent compounds, in multi-channel assays to detect two or more different analytes simultaneously. Novel intermediates used in the preparation of these odd pattern substituted compounds are also disclosed.

Inventors

• 👤 Brooks Edwards
• 👤 Irena Y. Bronstein
• 👤 Alison A. Laird
• 👤 John C. Voyta

Bibliographic Details