Precursor to nucleic acid probe

US4705886A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Cetus Corporation · US

Inventors

• Corey Levenson · Oakland, US
• Kary B. Mullis · Village of La Jolla, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 21, 1986
• Grant date: Nov 10, 1987
• Expiry date: Jul 21, 2006

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12Q1/68
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Nucleic acids may be labeled by intercalating the alkylating intercalation moiety of a labeling reagent into a partially double-stranded nucleic acid to form a complex and activating the complex to cause covalent bonding between the reagent and the nucleic acid. Preferably, the labeled nucleic acid is a hybridization probe for detecting nucleic acid sequences capable of hybridizing with a hybridizing region of the nucleic acid. Also preferably the label moiety is non-radioactive. The labeling reagent is of the formula: EQU [A--[B--L where A is an alkylating intercalation moiety, B is a divalent organic moiety of the formula: ##STR1## where Y is O, NH or N--CHO, x is a number from 1 to 4, y is a number from 2 to 4, and L is a monovalent label moiety, wherein B is exclusive of any portion of the intercalation and label moieties. Preferably A is a 4-methylene-substituted psoralen moiety, and most preferably A is a 4'-methylene-substituted-4,5', 8-trimethylpsoralen moiety and L is biotin. This patent application is a divisional application of copending U.S. Ser. No. 791,332 filed Oct. 25, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,261, which is a continuation-in-part application (CIP) of copending …