Composition, article and process for detecting a microorganism

• US 4,803,162 A
• Filed: 05/15/1984
• Issued: 02/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fluorodiagnostic Limited Partners A CA Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Fluorodiagnostic Limited Partners
• Inventors: Fox, Eugene N., Smith, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/610,324
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 435/4, 435/23, 435/24, 435/29, 435/34, 435/36, 435/39, 435/212, 435/220, 435/805, 435/885, 436/169, 436/172, 422/52, 422/56, 260/112.5 L, 546/158
• US Class Current: 435/36
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 215/38 Nitrogen atoms nitro radicals C07D215/18
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 401/12 linked by a chain containing hetero atoms as chain links
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/04 Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor C12Q1/6897 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/34 involving hydrolase
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2337/00 N-linked chromogens for determinations of peptidases and proteinases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/948 acting on peptide bonds (3.4)
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/805 Test papers

Abstract

A compound for detecting the presence of specific microorganisms wherein the compound is made of two molecule fragments connected with a peptide bond, one compound fragment being enzyme-specific in that the presence of an enzyme specific to the microorganisms being detected will cause the peptide bond to hydrolyze, and the other molecule fragment being 6-aminoquinalone, wherein the organism is detected by exposing the compound to fluid suspected to contain the microorganism and irradiating the thus-exposed compound with ultraviolet radiation whereby fluorescence is observed if the microorganism is present.

Claims

1. A compound having the structure ##STR6## wherein A is an enzyme-specific substituent and R1 is a haloalkyl having fewer than five carbon atoms.

2. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 is trifluoromethyl.

3. The compound of claim 1 wherein A is ##STR7##

4. The process for detecting the presence of group A streptococci comprising:

A. bringing a material suspected of containing group A Streptococci into contact with an article comprising the compound of claim 1 impregnated into an absorbent carrier wherein A is a substituent specific to enzymes produced by said group A Streptococci,

B. moistening said article with an aqueous medium

C. exposing said article to ultraviolet radiation, and

D. observing the presence of fluorescence to establish the presence of said group A Streptococci.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein said ultraviolet radiation has a wavelength between 250 and 400nm.

6. The process of claim 4 wherein A is pyrrolidonyl.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein said aqueous medium is water buffered to a pH between 6 and 9.

8. The process of claim 4 wherein said aqueous medium includes a reducing agent.

9. The process of claim 4 wherein said material is a body fluid.

10. The process of claim 4 wherein said material is a colony of microorganisms.

11. The compound ##STR8## wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and trifluoromethyl.

12. A dry article comprising ##STR9## wherein A is an enzyme-specific substituent, R1, R2 and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl having fewer than five carbon atoms and a haloalkyl having fewer than five carbon atoms impregnated into an absorbent carrier from which all liquid is evaporated.

13. The article of claim 12 wherein said carrier is filter paper.

14. The article of claim 12 wherein said carrier is a porous mineral.

15. The article of claim 12 wherein said carrier is a porous polymer.

16. A dry article comprising ##STR10## impregnated into an absorbent carrier from which all liquid is evaporated wherein R1 is a haloalkyl having fewer than five carbon atoms.