Abstract: Cyanine dye compounds having a substituted methine moiety that are nucleic acid stains, particularly for fluorescent staining of RNA, including compounds having the formula where R1 is a C1-C6 alkyl, sulfoalkyl, carboxyalkyl or C1-C6 alkoxy; each R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, fused benzo, trifluoromethyl, amino, sulfo, carboxy and halogen, that is optionally further substituted; at least one of R3, R4, and R5 is an alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cyclic, or heterocyclic moiety that is optionally substituted by alkyl, amino, aminoalkyl, carboxy, nitro, or halogen; and the remaining R3, R4 or R5 are hydrogen; X is S, O, or Se; and D is a substituted or unsubstituted pyridinium, quinolinium or benzazolium moiety.

Abstract: Cyanine dye compounds having a substituted methine moiety that are nucleic acid stains, particularly for fluorescent staining of RNA, including compounds having the formula where R1 is a C1-C6 alkyl, sulfoalkyl, carboxyalkyl or C1-C6 alkoxy; each R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, fused benzo, trifluoromethyl, amino, sulfo, carboxy and halogen, that is optionally further substituted; at least one of R3, R4, and R5 is an alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cyclic, or heterocyclic moiety that is optionally substituted by alkyl, amino, aminoalkyl, carboxy, nitro, or halogen; and the remaining R3, R4 or R5 are hydrogen; X is S, O, or Se; and D is a substituted or unsubstituted pyridinium, quinolinium or benzazolium moiety.

Abstract: Cyanine dye compounds having a negatively charged substituent that are nucleic acid stains, particularly for fluorescent staining of DNA, including compounds having the formula wherein W forms one or two fused 5- or 6-membered aromatic rings, a has a value of 0 or 1, n has a value of 0, or 1, X is O, S, or Se, and D is a pyridinium, or quinolinium moiety, provided that the compound has at least one negatively charged substituent.

Abstract: Cyanine dye compounds having a negatively charged substituent that are nucleic acid stains, particularly for fluorescent staining of DNA, including compounds having the formula wherein W forms one or two fused 5- or 6-membered aromatic rings, ? has a value of 0 or 1, n has a value of 0, or 1, X is O, S, or Se, and D is a pyridinium, or quinolinium moiety, provided that the compound has at least one negatively charged substituent.

Abstract: Cyanine dye compounds having a negatively charged substituent that are nucleic acid stains, particularly for fluorescent staining of DNA, including compounds having the formula wherein W forms one or two fused 5- or 6-membered aromatic rings, a has a value of 0 or 1, n has a value of 0, or 1, X is O, S, or Se, and D is a pyridinium, or quinolinium moiety, provided that the compound has at least one negatively charged substituent.

Abstract: The present invention provides ligand-detection reagents, ligand analogs and methods for determining the presence of a ligand in a sample. The ligand-detection reagent comprises a ligand-binding antibody and a ligand analog to form an antibody-ligand analog complex wherein the ligand analog is covalently bonded to a reporter molecule. This complex may additionally comprise a labeling protein non-covalently bonded to the antibody to form a ternary complex wherein the labeling protein comprises a monovalent antibody fragment or a non-antibody protein that is covalently bonded to a label moiety. The reporter molecule is either quenched by the ligand-binding antibody or by the label moiety of the labeling protein, depending on the reporter molecule and the ligand-binding antibody, wherein the amount of quenching is directly related to the amount of ligand present in the sample.