Abstract: Fluorescent compounds useful in the determination of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) enzyme activity are described. The compounds are "fluorescent derivatives related in structure to chloramphenicol and are acylated in the presence of CAT to produce fluorescent mono- and diacylated products, which are then physically separated from the reaction mixture and quantitated by means of their fluorescence and/or absorbance. Fluorescent molecules conjugated to chloramphenicol include derivatives of fluorescein, rhodamine, coumarin, dimethylaminonaph-thalene sulfonic acid (dansyl), pyrene, anthracene, nitrobenz-oxadiazole (NBD), acridine and dipyrrometheneboron difluoride.

Abstract: Fluorescent compounds useful in the determination of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) enzyme activity are described. The compounds are fluorescent derivatives related in structure to chloramphenicol comprising a base, ##STR1## substituted at one to five aromatic ring positions by substituents, which may be the same or different, that are alkyl-, hydroxy-, alkoxy-, aryl-, halo-, nitro-, amino-, alkylamido-, or arylamido-; and a fluorescent moiety linked to the base at --NH-- by an aliphatic chain of 1-12 atoms other than hydrogen, where such atoms are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, or combinations thereof. The substrate compounds are acylated in the presence of CAT to produce fluorescent mono- and diacylated products, which are then physically separated from the reaction mixture and quantitated by means of their fluorescence and/or absorbance.