Patent ID: 7238795

Claim:
A nucleic acid binding compound comprising a backbone, said backbone having attached one or more heterocyclic groups capable of base pairing to nucleobases, wherein at least one heterocyclic group 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 —Br and —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) —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) —Z—(C 1 -C 10 )-alkyl, —Z—(C 2 -C 10 )-alkenyl, —Z—(C 2 -C 10 )-alkynyl, —Z—(C 6 -C 22 )-aryl or Z—H, wherein Z=—CO—, —CO—NH—, —CS—NH—, —(CH 2 ) n —[O—(CH 2 ) r ] s —, 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, —NO 2 , —OR 12 , —CN, —(C 1 -C 6 )-alkoxy, —SH, —S—(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, —NR 5 R 6 , —N + R 5 R 6 R 12 , —COR 11 , —NH—CONR 5 R 6 , —NH—CSNR 5 R 6 and (CH 2 ) n —[O—(CH 2 ) r ] s —NR 5 R 6 , r and s are independently of each other an integer of from 1 to 18 and a is 0 or 1 independently from r and s, wherein R 11 is selected from the group consisting of —NHR 12 and OR 12 , wherein R 5 , R 6 and R 12 are selected independently from the group consisting of —H, —(C 1 -C 10 )-alkyl, —(C 2 -C 10 )-alkenyl, —(C 2 -C 10 )-alkynyl, —(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.