Patent ID: 8057997

Claim:
A method for the determination of the presence, absence or amount of a nucleic acid comprising: providing a sample suspected to contain the nucleic acid, providing a nucleic acid binding compound comprising a backbone, said backbone having attached one or more heterocyclic groups capable of base pairing to nucleobases, characterized in that at least one of said heterocyclic groups is a group of formula I, wherein R 1 is independent from X, R 2 or R 3 and is selected from the group consisting of â€”Br and â€”I R 2 and R 3 are independent from each other and from X and R 1 , and are selected from the group consisting of: (1) â€”H, (2) (C 1 -C 10 )-alkyl, (3) (C 2 -C 10 )-alkenyl, (4) (C 2 -C 10 )-alkynyl, (5) (C 6 -C 22 )-aryl, (6) â€”Zâ€”(C 1 -C 10 )-alkyl, â€”Zâ€”(C 2 -C 10 )-alkenyl, â€”Zâ€”(C 2 -C 10 )-alkynyl, â€”Zâ€”(C 6 -C 22 )-aryl, or Zâ€”H, wherein Zâ•â€”COâ€”, â€”COâ€”NHâ€”, â€”CSâ€”NHâ€”, â€”(CH 2 ) n â€”[Oâ€”(CH 2 ) r ] s â€”, where r and s are, independently of each other, an integer between 1 to 18 and n is 1 or 2 independently from r and s, (7) substituents (2) to (6), wherein any alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of -halogen, â€”NO 2 , â€”OR 12 , â€”CN, â€”(C 1 -C 6 )-alkoxy, â€”SH, â€”Sâ€”(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, â€”NR 5 R 6 , â€”N + R 5 R 6 R 12 , â€”COR 11 , â€”NHâ€”CONR 5 R 6 , â€”NHâ€”CSNR 5 R 6 and â€”(CH 2 ) n â€”[Oâ€”(CH 2 ) r ] s â€”NR 5 R 6 , r, and s are independently of each other an integer of from 1 to 18 and n is 0 or 1 independently from r and s, wherein R 11 is selected from the group consisting of â€”NHR 12 and OR 12 , wherein R 5 , R 6 and R 12 are selected independently from the group consisting of â€”H, â€”(C 1 -C 10 )-aklyl, â€”(C 2 -C 10 )-alkenyl, â€”(C 2 -C 10 )-alkynyl, â€”(C 6 -C 22 )-aryl and a reporter group, X is N; and D is the position of attachment of the group to the rest of the nucleic acid binding compound; or any salts thereof, contacting said sample with the nucleic acid binding compound under conditions for binding the nucleic acid binding compound to the nucleic acid to form a duplex, and determining the binding product or the degree of hybridization between the nucleic acid and the nucleic acid binding compound as a measure of the presence, absence or amount of the nucleic acid.