LUMINOGENIC COMPOUNDS AND METHODS TO DETECT CYTOCHROME P450 3A ENZYMES

摘要

The present invention provides acetal derivatives of luciferin and methods for using such derivatives in enzyme activity assays where the luciferin derivative serves as a substrate for a desired enzyme and is a prosubstrate for luciferase (a proluciferin). Thus, by providing luciferin derivatives having a particular enzyme recognition site for a desired nonluciferase enzyme (a reactive chemical group in a molecule referred to as a substrate for the enzyme) coupled to the luciferin backbone (or other chemical moiety constituting a suitable substrate for luciferase), e.g., derivatives having modifications at the carboxyl group of D- luciferin or aminoluciferin as well as optionally other modifications, nonluciferase enzymes may be measured in a bioluminescent assay.