PREPARATION OF MONOMETHINE CYANINE DYES FOR NUCLEIC-ACID DETECTION

By condensation of quaternary heterocyclic compounds having an active methyl group with 4-chloroquinolinium salts irt the presence of basic agents, such as triethylanzine, 10 monomethine cyanine dyes with one o r two positive charges have been synthesized. Most of the dyes absorb in the region 505-525 nm, two of them in the region around 600 nm, and all dyes have a high molar absorptivity of 50000-80000 l mol(-1) cm(- 1). The dyes do not have fluorescent properties in aqueous solution, b ut in the presence of ds DNA, in most cases a large fluoroescence enha ncement is observed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.