Phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex fluorescent tracer and methods of using the same

Claim 2

A fluorescent method of detecting and/or determining an analyte in a medium in which it may be present, characterised in that a phycobiliprotcin-linker peptide complex is used as a fluorescent tracer.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the phycobiliprotein of said phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is selected from phycocrythrin, phycoerythrocyanine, phycocyanine, allophycocyanine and allophycccyanine B.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1 characterised in that the phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is extracted from a cyanobacterium selected from Mastigoclodus Laminosus, Synechocystis 6701, Synechococcus, 6301, Anabaena variabilis and Nostoc spec.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the linker peptide of said phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is selected from the peptides L R , L C , L RC and L CM .

Claim 6

The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is selected from the complexes (α PEC , β PEC ) 6 L R , (α PEC , β PEC ) 3 L R , (α PC , β PC ) 6 L R , (α PC , β PC ) 6 L RC , (α PC , β PC ) 3 L R , (α AP , β AP ) 3 L C , (α APB , [α2]α 2 AP , [B3]β 3 AP )L C and (α AP , β AP ) 2 L CM .

Claim 7

A homogenous fluorescent method of detecting and/or determining an analyte in a medium in which it may be present, by displaying the product of the reaction between the analyte and at least one corresponding receptor, consisting of: 1) adding to said medium a first reagent constituted of at least one receptor of said analyte, 2) adding a second reagent selected from the analyte or at least one of its receptors, one of said first reagent or said second reagent coupled with a flourescent donor compound constituted by a rare earth cryptate, chelate or macrocyclic complex and other reagent being coupled with a fluorescent acceptor compound, it being possible for the order of addition of the reagents to be the reverse order and, after excitation of the mixture by a source of light at the excitation wavelength of the fluorescent donor compound, 3) measuring the emission signal of the fluorescent acceptor compould, and 4) correlating the measured emission signal of the fluorescent acceptor compound to the presence and/or amount of analyte, characterised in that a phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is used as a fluorescent acceptor compound.

Claim 8

A homogenous fluorescent method of detecting and/or determining an analyte in a medium in which it may be present, by displaying the product of the reaction between the analyte and at least one corresponding receptor, consisting of: 1) adding to said medium a first reagent constituted of at least one receptor of said analyte, 2) adding a second reagent selected from the analyte or at least one of its receptors, one of said first reagent or said second reagent coupled with a flourescent donor compound constituted by a rare earth cryptate, chelate or macrocyclic complex and other reagent being coupled with a fluorescent acceptor compound, it being possible for the order of addition of the reagents to be the reverse order and, after excitation of the mixture by a source of light at the excitation wavelength of the fluorescent donor compound, 3) measuring the emission signal of the fluorescent acceptor compould, and 4) correlating the measured emission signal of the fluorescent acceptor compound to the presence and/or amount of analyte, characterised in that a phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is used as a fluorescent acceptor compound.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 6 which consists of an excess method, characterised in that it consists of: 1) adding to said medium containing the analyte sought after a first reagent constituted by at least one receptor of said analyte coupled with a fluorescent donor compound constituted by a rare earth cryptate, chelate or macrocyclic complex, 2) adding a second reagerit constituted by one or more other receptors of said analyte, said second reagent being coupled with a fluorescent acceptor compound constituted by a phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex, 3) incubating said medium after each addition of reagents or after the addition of the second reagent, 4) exciting the resulting medium at the excitation wavelength of the fluorescent donor compound, 5) measuring the signal emitted by the fluorescent acceptor compound.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 6 consisting of a competitive method, characterised in that it consists of: 1) adding to said medium containing the analyte sought after a first reagent constituted by a receptor of said analyte, coupled with a fluorescent donor compound constituted by a rare earth cryptate, chelate or macrocyclic complex, 2) adding a second reagent constituted of the analyte coupled with a fluorescent acceptor compound constituted by a phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex, 3) incubating said medium after each addition of reagents or after the addition of the second reagent, 4) exciting the resulting medium at the excitation wavelength of the fluorescent donor compound, 5) measuring the signal emitted by the fluorescent acceptor compound.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 6 consisting of a competitive method, characterised in that it consists of: 1) adding to said medium containing the analyte sought after a first reagent constituted by a receptor of said analyte, said receptor being coupled with a fluorescent acceptor compound constituted by a phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex, 2) adding a second reagent constituted of the analyte coupled with a fluorescent donor compound constituted by a rare earth cryptate or chelate, 3) incubating said medium either after the addition of each reagent, or after the addition of the second reagent, 4) exciting the resulting medium at the excitation wavelength of he fluorescent donor compound, 5) measuring the signal emitted by the fluorescent acceptor compound.

Claim 16

A method of amplification of the emission signal of a rare earth cryptate or chelate used as fluorescent donor compound in a fluorescent assay according to claim 1, in which a fluorescent acceptor compound is also used, characterised in that the rare earth clyptate or chelate possesses a low overall quantum yield, and in that the quantum yield of radiative deactivation from the emission level of the rare earth is lower than the quantum yield of the acceptor being constituted by a phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is used in combination with one or more different fluorescent tracers.

Claim 18

A fluorescent conjugate constituted of a phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex covalently bound to one of the elements of a ligand/receptor specific binding pair.

Claim 19

A fluorescent conjugate constituted of a phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex covalently bound to one of the elements of a ligand/receptor specific binding pair.

Claim 20

The conjugate according to claim 16, characterized in that the phycobiliprotein of said phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is selected from phycoerythrin, phycoerythrocyanine, phycocyanine, allophycocyanine and allophycocyanine B.

Claim 21

The conjugate according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the linker peptide of said phycobiliprotcin-linkcr peptide complex is selected from the peptides L R , L C , L RC and L CM .

Claim 22

The conjugate according to one of claims 16 or 17, characterised in that the phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is selected from the complexes (α PEC , β PEC ) 6 L R , (α PEC , β PEC ) 3 L R , (α PC , β Pc ) 6 L R , (α PC , β PC ) 6 L RC , (α PC , β PC ) 3 L R , (α AP , β AP ) 3 L C , (α APB , [α2]α 2 AP ; [B3]β 3 AP )L C and (α AP , β AP ) 2 L CM .

Claim 23

The conjugate according to one of claims 16 or 17, characterised in that the phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is extracted from a c),anobacterium selectcd from Mastigoclodus Laminosus, Synechocystis 6701, Synechococcis 6301, Anabaena variabilis and Nostoc spec.

Claim 24

The conjugate according to claim 16, characterised in that the element of the ligand/receptor specific binding pair is a receptor.

Claim 25

The conjugate according to claim 16, characterised in that the element of the ligand/receptor specific binding pair is a ligand.

Claim 26

A flow cytometry method characterized by the use of the conjugate of claim 16 or 17.

Claim 27

The method of claim 6 wherein phycobiliprotein of said phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is selected from phycoerythrin, phycoerythrocyanine, phycocyanine, allophycocyanine and allophycocyanine B.

Claim 28

The method of claim 6 wherein said phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is extracted from a cyanobacterium selected from Mastigoclodus Laminosus, Synechocystis 6701, Synechococcus, 6301, Anabaena variabilis and Nostoc spec.

Claim 29

The method of claim 6 wherein the linker peptide of said phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is selected from the peptides L R , L C , L RC and L CM .

Claim 30

The method of claim 6 wherein said phycobiliprotein-linker peptide complex is selected from the complexes (α PEC , β PEC ) 6 L R , (α PEC , β PEC ) 3 L R , (α PC , β PC ) 6 L R , (α PC , β PC ) 6 L RC , (α PC , β PC ) 3 L R , (α AP , β AP ) 3 L C , (α APB , α2 AP , B3 AP )L C and (α AP , β AP ) 2 L CM .

Claim 31

The conjugate of claim 21 wherein said receptor is a cell receptor or an antibody.

Claim 32

The conjugate of claim 22 wherein said ligand is an analyte.