Disclosed are nitro-substituted squaraine reporter dyes and methods using such dyes for detecting nitroreductase enzyme activity and nitroreductase gene expression in cellular assays. The dyes are of the structure:
in which Z
1
and Z
2
independently represent a phenyl or a naphthyl ring system; X and Y are selected from oxygen, sulphur, —CH═CH— and the group:
R
1
and R
2
are selected from C
1
-C
4
alkyl, —(CH
2
)
n
—P, —(CH
2
)
2
—O}
p
—R
6
and group W; where P is selected from COOR
7
, SO
3
−
and OH, W is mono- or di-substituted nitrobenzyl, R
6
is methyl or ethyl, R
7
is selected from H, C
1
-C
4
alkyl and CH
2
OC(O)R
8
, where R
8
is methyl, or t-butyl, n is an integer from 1 to 10, and p is an integer from 1 to 3; R
3
and R
4
are selected from hydrogen, NO
2
, halogen, SO
3
−
, C
1
-C
4
alkoxy and —(CH
2
)
m
—COOR
7
; where R
7
is hereinbefore defined and m is 0 or an integer from 1 to 5; R
5
is C
1
-C
6
alkyl optionally substituted with COOR
7
, SO
3
−
, or OH; where R
7
is hereinbefore defined; and at least one of groups R
1
, R
2
, R
3
and R
4
comprises at least one NO
2
group.
Also provided are methods for screening for a test agent whose effect upon nitroreductase enzyme activity and nitroreductase gene expression is to be determined.
本发明涉及硝基取代的方酰菁报告
染料以及使用这些
染料在
细胞分析中检测硝基还原酶酶活性和硝基还原酶
基因表达的方法。该
染料具有以下结构:其中Z1和Z2独立地表示苯环或
萘环系统;X和Y选自氧、
硫、-CH═CH-和以下基团:R1和R2选自C1-C4烷基、-(
CH2)n-P、-( )2-O}p-R6和基团W;其中P选自COOR7、SO3-和OH,W是单取代或双取代的
硝基苯甲基,R6是甲基或乙基,R7选自H、C1-C4烷基和 OC(O)R8,其中R8是甲基或叔丁基,n为1至10的整数,p为1至3的整数;R3和R4选自氢、
NO2、卤素、SO3-、C1-C4烷氧基和-( )m-COOR7;其中R7如上定义,m为0或1至5的整数;R5是C1-C6烷基,可选地被COOR7、SO3-或OH取代;其中R7如上定义;且R1、R2、R3和R4中至少有一个包含至少一个 基团。此外,还提供了用于筛选测试剂的方法,该测试剂的作用是确定其对硝基还原酶酶活性和硝基还原酶
基因表达的影响。