A biologically active fluorescent compound, (-)-7-(2-- dansylaminoethyl)indolactam V(), was synthesized from (-)-indolactam V () in 6 steps together with an inactive fluorescentderivative, (-)-7-(2--dansylaminoethyl)-14--methylindolactam V (). (-)-Indolactam V () exists as two stable conformers in solution at room temperature. The effect of substituents and substitution positions of the indole ring