Inhibitors of oplophorus luciferase-derived bioluminescent complexes

1. A compound selected from the group consisting of:

N-(3-cyano-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(3-cyanothiophen-2-yl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(2-cyanophenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(3-cyano-5,6-dihydro-4H-cyclopenta[b]thiophen-2-yl)-2-(phenylsulfonamido)benzamide;

2-([1,1′-biphenyl]-3-sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

methyl 3-(N-(2-(p-tolylcarbamoyl)phenyl)sulfamoyl)benzoate;

3-(N-(2-(p-tolylcarbamoyl)phenyl)sulfamoyl)benzoic acid;

2-((3-acetamidophenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-aminophenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-(hydroxymethyl)phenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-(butylcarbamoyl)phenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-bromophenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-(butylamino)phenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-(hex-1-yn-1-yl)phenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-hexylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-(3-hydroxyprop-1-yn-1-yl)phenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-(3-hydroxypropyl)phenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

N-(p-tolyl)-2-((4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

2-((4-methoxyphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((4-bromophenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-([1,1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

N-(p-tolyl)-2-((3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(p-tolyl)-2-((3-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(naphthalen-2-yl)benzamide;

2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)benzamide;

methyl trans-4-(2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamido)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate;

trans-4-(2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamido)cyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid;

2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

ethyl 2-(4-(2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamido)phenyl)acetate;

N-(3-isopropylphenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

ethyl 3-(2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamido)benzoate;

2-(4-(2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamido)phenyl)acetic acid;

3-(2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamido)benzoic acid;

2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(m-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(2-propylphenyl)benzamide;

N-(3-butylphenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(4-butylphenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(4-hexylphenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(4-octylphenyl)benzamide;

methyl 6-(4-(2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamido)phenyl)hexanoate;

6-(4-(2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamido)phenyl)hexanoic acid;

N-(4-(6-hydroxyhexyl)phenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(4-(4-hydroxybutyl)phenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(4-(4-bromobutyl)phenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

5-methoxy-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

4-methoxy-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-methoxyphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

5-hydroxy-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-hydroxyphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

2-((3-butoxyphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(p-tolyl)benzamide;

N-(2-bromophenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(3-bromophenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-([1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-([1,1′-biphenyl]-3-yl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(3-methoxyphenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

2-((N-ethyl-4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)benzamide;

N-(4-methoxybenzyl)-2-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonamido)benzamide;

or a salt thereof.

2. A method of inhibiting luciferase activity of an Oplophorus luciferase-derived bioluminescent complex, the method comprising contacting the bioluminescent complex with the compound of claim 1 .

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bioluminescent complex comprises two or more substantially non-luminescent peptide and/or polypeptide units, and wherein association of the two or more non-luminescent peptide and/or polypeptide units produces a detectable bioluminescent signal in the presence of a coelenterazine substrate.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein association of the two or more substantially non-luminescent peptide and/or polypeptide units generates a bioluminescent complex capable of binding the coelenterazine substrate.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bioluminescent complex comprises:

a) a peptide comprising an amino acid sequence having less than 100% and greater than 40% identity to SEQ ID NO: 2; and

b) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having less than 100% and greater than 40% identity with SEQ ID NO: 3,

wherein the bioluminescent complex exhibits detectable luminescence in the presence of a coelenterazine substrate.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the bioluminescent complex comprises a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 and a peptide having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID: 4 or SEQ ID NO: 6.

7. A method for modulating luminescence of an Oplophorus luciferase-derived bioluminescent complex in a sample, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the sample with a coelenterazine substrate and the compound of claim 1 ; and

(b) detecting luminescence in the sample,

wherein the compound of claim 1 causes a decrease in the luminescence from the bioluminescent complex.

8. A method to detect an interaction or co-localization between a first molecule and a second molecule in a sample, the method comprising:

(a) contacting a sample with a coelenterazine substrate and the compound of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises:

(i) a first fusion, wherein the first fusion comprises a non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase and a first molecule; and

(ii) a second fusion, wherein the second fusion comprises a non-luminescent complementary polypeptide or peptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase and a second molecule, wherein the non-luminescent polypeptide is capable of forming a bioluminescent complex with the non-luminescent peptide; and

(b) detecting luminescence in the sample,

wherein the detection of luminescence indicates an interaction or co-localization between the first molecule and the second molecule.

9. A method to detect an interaction or co-localization of a first molecule and a second molecule in a sample, the method comprising:

(a) contacting a sample with a non-luminescent polypeptide or peptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase, a coelenterazine substrate, and the compound of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises:

(i) a first polynucleotide encoding a first fusion, wherein the first fusion comprises an non-luminescent complementary peptide or polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase and a first molecule, wherein the non-luminescent complementary peptide or polypeptide is capable of forming a bioluminescent complex with the non-luminescent polypeptide or peptide; and

(ii) a second polynucleotide encoding a second fusion, wherein the second fusion comprises a fluorescent acceptor molecule and a second molecule; and

(b) detecting bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) in the sample indicating an interaction or co-localization of the first molecule and the second molecule.

10. A method to detect interaction or co-localization of molecules in a sample, the method comprising:

(a) contacting a sample with a coelenterazine substrate and the compound of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises:

(i) a first fusion comprising a non-luminescent polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase and a first molecule;

(ii) a second fusion comprising a non-luminescent peptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase and a second molecule, wherein the non-luminescent peptide is capable of forming a bioluminescent complex with the non-luminescent polypeptide; and

(iii) a third fusion comprising a fluorescent acceptor molecule and a third molecule; and

(b) detecting bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) in the sample, indicating an interaction or co-localization between the first molecule, second molecule, and third molecule in the sample.

11. A method to detect a molecule of interest in a sample, the method comprising:

(a) contacting a sample comprising the molecule of interest fused to a non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase with

(i) a coelenterazine substrate;

(ii) the compound of claim 1 ; and

(iii) a non-luminescent complementary polypeptide or peptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase, wherein the non-luminescent complementary polypeptide or peptide is capable of forming a bioluminescent complex with the non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide; and

(b) detecting luminescence in the sample,

wherein detection of luminescence indicates formation of a bioluminescent complex between the non-luminescent peptide and the non-luminescent polypeptide.

12. A method to detect a molecule of interest in a sample, the method comprising:

(a) contacting a sample comprising the molecule of interest fused to a non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase with

(i) a coelenterazine substrate;

(ii) a compound of claim 1 ; and

(iii) a fusion comprising a non-luminescent complementary polypeptide or peptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase and a fluorescent moiety, wherein the non-luminescent complementary polypeptide or peptide is capable of forming a bioluminescent complex with the non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide; and

(b) detecting bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) in the sample, indicating detection of the molecule.

13. A bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) system comprising:

(a) a first fusion comprising a non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase and a first molecule;

(b) a second fusion comprising a non-luminescent complementary polypeptide or peptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase and a fluorescent moiety, wherein the non-luminescent complementary polypeptide or peptide is capable of forming a bioluminescent complex with the non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide;

(c) a coelenterazine substrate; and

(d) the compound of claim 1 .

14. A bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) system comprising:

(a) a first fusion comprising a first molecule and a non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase;

(b) a second fusion comprising a second molecule and a fluorescent acceptor molecule;

(c) a non-luminescent complementary polypeptide or peptide of Oplophorus -derived luciferase capable of forming a bioluminescent complex with the non-luminescent peptide or polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase;

(d) a coelenterazine substrate; and

(e) the compound of claim 1 .

15. A kit comprising:

(a) the compound of claim 1 ; and

(b) an Oplophorus luciferase-derived bioluminescent complex.

16. The kit of claim 15 , wherein the Oplophorus luciferase-derived bioluminescent complex comprises:

(a) a non-luminescent peptide comprising an amino acid sequence having less than 100% and greater than 40% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 2; and

(b) a non-luminescent polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having less than 100% and greater than 40% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 3.

17. A kit comprising:

(a) the compound of claim 1 ; and

(b) a first polynucleotide encoding a non-luminescent peptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase; and

(c) a second polynucleotide encoding a non-luminescent polypeptide of an Oplophorus -derived luciferase, wherein the non-luminescent polypeptide is capable of forming a bioluminescent complex with the non-luminescent peptide.

18. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the non-luminescent peptide comprises an amino acid sequence having less than 100% and greater than 40% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 2; and the non-luminescent polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having less than 100% and greater than 40% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 3.

19. The kit of claim 15 , further comprising a coelenterazine substrate.

20. The kit of claim 17 , further comprising a coelenterazine substrate.