Detectable molecules, method of preparation and use

Claim 1

A detectable molecule of the formula A 3 --(X--R 1 --E--Det b ) m where A 3 is A 2 , an oligo-or polysaccharide, an olgo- or polypeptide or a synthetic polymer, each of said oligo- or polysaccharide, oligo- or polypeptide or synthetic polymer having at least one modifiable reactive group consisting of amino, hydroxy, 1,2-cis diOH, halide aryl, imidazoyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, thiol or a residue comprising an activated carbon; A 2 is a specific binding ligand other than an oligo- or polysaccharide, oligo- or polypeptide or an oligo- or polymucleotide and has a molecular weight of less than about 2,000; --X-- is selected from the group consisting of ##STR52## --N═N--, --NHSO 2 --, --OSO 2 --, --NH--N═N--, ##STR53## -CH 2 --NH, ##STR54## --NH--CH 2 --, ##STR55## --S--CH 2 --; --R 1 -- is selected from the group consisting of ##STR56## and a C 1 -C 10 branched or unbranched alkyl or aralkyl, which may be substituted by --OH; --Y-- is a direct bond to --E--, or --Y-- is --E--R 2 -- where -R 2 -- is a C 1 -C 10 branched or unbranched alkyl; Z a is chlorine, bromine or iodine; --E-- is O, NH or an acyclic divalent sulfur atom; Det b is a chemical moiety capable of being detected, comprising biotin or a substituted or unsubstituted metal chelator or a compound capable of yielding a metal chelator; and m is an integer from 1 to the total number of modified reactive groups on A 3 .