Heteroarylcyanine dyes

1. A fluorescent compound or conjugate having the formula:

A-Q-B

wherein

Q has a formula which is a member selected from:

n is 1, 2 or 3;

R m is a member selected from:

wherein

w is an integer from 1 to 10;

u is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 and, when u is two or greater, each R o is independently selected;

R o is a member selected from OH, O − , a reactive functional group, a component of a reactive functional group and a linkage fragment binding the compound to a carrier molecule;

B is a moiety which is a member selected from Formulae I, II and III;

wherein

X 1 is CR 1 R 2 ,

wherein

R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently CH 2 R 7 ;

X 2 and X 3 are members independently selected from O, S, N, NH, CR 22 , and CR 22 R 23 ,

wherein

R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 22 and R 23 are members independently selected from H, R 28 , R 28 Z 2 , SO 3 H, CO 2 H, R 28 SO 3 H, C(O)NHR 28 SO 3 H, CONHR 28 C(O)Z 2 ,

wherein

R p and Z 2 are independently selected from OH, O − , a reactive functional group, a component of a reactive functional group and a linkage fragment covalently binding said compound to a carrier molecule;

g is an integer selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, and when g is greater than or equal to 2, each R g or R p is independently selected;

R g is a member selected from H, R 38 , R 38 Z 3 , SO 3 H, CO 2 H, R 38 SO 3 H, CONHR 38 SO 3 H, and CONHR 38 C(O)Z 3 ,

wherein

 R 28 and R 38 are independently selected from a bond, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl and substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl;

 Z 3 is selected from OH, O − , a reactive functional group, a component of a reactive functional group and a linkage fragment covalently binding said compound to a carrier molecule;

at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 is a reactive functional group, a component of a reactive functional group or is a linkage fragment covalently binding said compound to a carrier molecule;

said compound comprises at least three SO 3 H moieties; and

A has a formula which is a member selected from:

wherein

X 1′ is CR 1′ R 2′ ,

wherein

R 1′ , R 2′ and R 3′ are independently CH 2 R 7′ ;

X 2′ and X 3′ are members independently selected from O, S, N, NH, CR 22′ , and CR 22′ R 23′ ,

wherein

R 4′ , R 5′ , R 6′ , R 7′ , R 22′ and R 23′ are members independently selected from H, R 28′ , R 28′ Z 2′ , SO 3 H, CO 2 H, R 28′ SO 3 H, CONHR 28′ SO 3 H, CONHR 28′ C(O)Z 2′ ,

wherein

Z 2′ is a reactive functional group or is a linkage fragment covalently binding said compound to a carrier molecule;

g′ is selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and when it is greater than or equal to 2, each R g′ is independently selected;

R g′ is a member selected from H, R 38′ , R 38′ Z 3′ , SO 3 H, CO 2 H, R 38 'SO 3 H, CONHR 38′ SO 3 H, and CONHR 38′ C(O)Z 3′ ,

wherein

 R 28′ and R 38′ is a bond or is a member selected from substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl and substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl; and

 Z 3′ is a member selected from a reactive functional group, a component of a reactive functional group and a linkage fragment covalently binding said compound to a carrier molecule.

2. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of X 3 and X 3′ is S.

3. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of X 2 and X 2′ is CH.

4. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 6 and R 6′ is SO 3 − .

5. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein X 2 , X 2′ , X 3 and X 3′ are members independently selected from O, S, N, NH, CH, CH 2 and C(CH 3 ) 2 .

6. The compound or conjugate according to claim 5 , wherein at least one member selected from X 2 , X 2′ , X 3 and X 3′ is selected from NH, O and S.

7. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein not more than one member selected from X 2 , X 2′ , X 3 and X 3′ is O.

8. The compound or conjugate according to claim 7 , wherein none of X 2 , X 2′ , X 3 and X 3′ is O.

9. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , having a formula which is a member selected from:

10. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , having a formula selected from:

11. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , having a formula which is a member selected from:

12. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , having the formula:

wherein

R 61 , R 61′ , R 62 and R 62′ are members independently selected from H, CH 3 , COOH, and NH(CH 2 ) 2 SO 3 H;

Z and Z′ are members independently selected from N and CH; and

n is 1, 2 or 3.

13. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , having the formula:

wherein

Z and Z′ are members independently selected from N and CH;

Z 8 and Z 8′ are members independently selected from N(Z 75 )R 76 C(O)Z 12 , in which

R 75 is a member selected from H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl and substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl;

R 76 is a member selected from substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl and substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl; and

Z 12 is selected from OH, O − , a reactive functional group, a component of a reactive functional group and a linkage fragment covalently binding the compound to a carrier molecule; and

R 65 , R 65′ , R 66 and R 66′ are members independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms.

14. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 22 and R 23 are independently selected from:

wherein

R g and R h are members independently selected from H, R 38 , R 38 Z 3 , SO 3 H, CO 2 H, R 38 SO 3 H, CONHR 38 SO 3 H, and CONHR 38 CO 2 H.

15. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , having a formula selected from:

wherein

Z 10 is a member selected from said reactive functional group, said component of a reactive functional group or said linkage fragment covalently binding said compound to a carrier molecule, and when said compound includes more than one Z 10 , each Z 10 is independently selected.

16. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein said reactive functional group is a member selected from an amine, a hydroxy, an aldehyde, a ketone, a hydroxylamine, a sulfhydryl, an isocyanate, an isothiocyanate, a haloacetamide, a hydrazine, an ester, an anhydride, an acyl azide, an acyl halide, a sulfonyl halide, a maleimide, a carbodiimide, a phosphoramidite, and an imidazole.

17. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein said reactive functional group is a member selected from:

wherein

each r is independently selected from the integers from 1 to 10;

G is a halogen; and

R 30 and R 31 are members independently selected from H and halogen and at least one of R 30 and R 31 is halogen.

18. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein said carrier molecule comprises the structure:

wherein

u is selected from the integers from 1 to 8;

J is a member selected from H, OH, and OMe; and

Y is a nucleobase.

19. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , having a formula which is a member selected from:

wherein,

each R 4 , R 4′ , R 6 or R 6′ moiety is independently selected and when said compound includes more than one R 4 , R 4′ , R 6 or R 6′ moiety, each R 4 , R 4′ , R 6 or R 6′ moiety is independently selected.

20. The compound or conjugate according to claim 19 , having a formula selected from:

21. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 having a formula selected from:

wherein Z 10 is OH, O − , said reactive functional group, said component of a reactive functional group or said linkage fragment covalently binding said compound to a carrier molecule; and when said compound has more than one Z 10 moiety, each Z 10 moiety is independently selected.

22. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein R 28 is substituted alkyl having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

23. The compound or conjugate according to claim 22 , wherein said substituted alkyl is haloalkyl.

24. The compound or conjugate according to claim 23 , wherein said haloalkyl is —CF 3 .

25. The compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein R 28′ is substituted alkyl having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

26. The compound or conjugate according to claim 25 , wherein said substituted alkyl is haloalkyl.

27. The compound or conjugate according to claim 26 , wherein said haloalkyl is —CF 3 .

28. A method of monitoring an enzyme reaction, said method comprising:

(a) forming a reaction mixture by contacting said enzyme with a fluorescent compound or conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein said compound or conjugate is a substrate for said enzyme under conditions sufficient for said enzyme and said compound or conjugate to react; and

(b) monitoring fluorescence of said reaction mixture.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein, said enzyme is a DNA polymerase and said compound or conjugate comprises a nucleic acid moiety which is said substrate for said enzyme.

30. The method according to claim 28 , wherein said enzyme reaction is template directed DNA synthesis.

31. The method according to claim 28 , wherein said reaction is a component of a single molecule DNA sequencing analysis.