Chemiluminescent energy transfer conjugates and their uses as labels in binding assays

• Main Authors: SAY-JONG LAW, ADRIAN WALDNER, JUN XI, PAUL SENN, DAVID SHARPE, ALEX ALDER, FRITZ THOMMEN, MARCUS BAUMANN, ANAND NATRAJAN, ERIKA SCHMIDT, QINGPING JIANG, ROLF HILFIKER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.12.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; CHEMISTRY; DYES; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LAKES; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; MEASURING; METALLURGY; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; MORDANTS; NATURAL RESINS; ORGANIC DYES OR CLOSELY-RELATED COMPOUNDS FOR PRODUCING DYES; PAINTS; PHYSICS; POLISHES; TESTING

A new class of chemiluminescent acridinium or benzacridinium compounds is disclosed by virtue of forming an intramolecular energy transfer conjugate (ETC) between the acridinium or benzacridinium compound and a luminophore. A method of extending the emission wavelengths of acridinium or benzacridinium esters in order to further reduce or eliminate the emission spectral overlap between the parent polysubstituted aryl Acridinium Esters (DMAE) and Benzacridinium Esters (LEAE) is disclosed. The ETC's retain the unique desired properties of acridinium or benzacridinium compounds including complete light emission in very short period of time, monophasic emission spectrum, simplicity of triggering mechanism, ability of labeling the biological molecules of interest to form a tracer, and good stability. Additionally, the range of the emission spectrum of an acridinium or benzacridinium compound can now be shifted at will and at longer leap through the choice of a luminophore as the integral part of an ETC molecule. Disclosed are chemiluminescent labeled conjugates comprising an acridinium or benzacridinium moiety covalently attached to a luminophore via a spacer, said moiety further conjugated to a biological molecule of interest, wherein said spacer is of an appropriate length to allow the excited species generated from said moiety to transfer energy efficiently to said luminophore, resulting in the emission of light in the spectral region of said luminophore. Also disclosed are binding assays using said conjugates, test kits comprising said conjugates and methods of preparing the conjugates.