Patent ID: 8106052

Claim:
A method for measuring the activity of a cytochrome P450 enzyme comprising: (a) contacting a luminogenic molecule with a least one cytochrome P450 enzyme and at least one luciferase enzyme to produce a reaction mixture, wherein the luminogenic molecule is a cytochrome P450 substrate and a pro-substrate of a luciferase enzyme and wherein the luminogenic molecule is a compound of formula wherein R 1 represents hydrogen, hydroxyl, amino, C 1-20 alkoxy, substituted C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyloxy, substituted C 2-20 alkenyloxy, halogenated C 2-20 alkoxy, substituted halogenated C 2-20 alkoxy, C 3-20 alkynyloxy, substituted C 3-20 alkynyloxy, C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, substituted C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, C 3-20 cycloalkylamino, substituted C 3-20 cycloalkylamino, C 1-20 alkylamino, substituted C 1-20 alkylamino, di C 1-20 alkylamino, substituted diC 1-20 alkylamino, C 2-20 alkenylamino, substituted C 2-20 alkenylamino, di C 2-20 alkenylamino, substituted di C 2-20 alkenylamino, C 2-20 alkenyl C 1-20 alkylamino, substituted C 2-20 alkenyl C 1-20 alkylamino, C 3-20 alkylamino, substituted C 3-20 alkynylamino, di C 3-20 alkynylamino, substituted di alkylamino, C 3-20 alkynyl C 2-20 alkenylamino, or substituted C 3-20 alkynyl C 2-20 alkenylamino; R 2 and R 3 independently represents C or N; R 4 and R 5 independently represents S, O, NR 8 , wherein R 8 represents hydrogen or C 1-20 alkyl, CR 9 R 10 wherein R 9 and R 10 independently represent H, C 1-20 alkyl, or fluorine; R 6 represents CH 2 OH; COR 11 wherein R 11 represents H, OH, C 1-20 alkoxide, C 2-20 alkenyl, or NR 12 R 13 wherein R 12 and R 13 are independently H or C 1-20 alkyl; or —OM + wherein M + is an alkali metal or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt; and R 7 represent H, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-20 alkenyl, halogen, or C 1-6 alkoxide, with the proviso that R 1 is not OH or NH 2 , R 7 is not H, R 6 is not COR 11 , R 11 is not OH, R 3 and R 2 are not both carbon, and R 4 and R 5 are not both S at the same time (luciferin and aminoluciferin); and (b) determining cytochrome P450 activity by measuring luminescence of the reaction mixture.