Polymeric BODIPY dyes and methods for using the same

1. A water soluble polymeric tandem dye comprising:

a light harvesting multichromophore that is a conjugated polymer comprising π conjugated BODIPY units; and

an acceptor chromophore covalently linked to the multichromophore in energy-receiving proximity therewith.

2. The dye according to claim 1 , wherein the multichromophore comprises a BODIPY-comprising conjugated segment described by formula (I):

wherein:

B is a BODIPY unit;

M is a π conjugated co-monomer;

each L is independently selected from the group consisting of a terminal group, a π conjugated segment, a linker and a linked specific binding member; and

n is an integer of 2 to 100,000.

3. The dye according to claim 2 , wherein the BODIPY unit is described by the structure:

wherein:

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each independently selected from H, an alkyl and a substituted alkyl;

R 5 is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aryl, a substituted aryl, a heteroaryl, a substituted heteroaryl, wherein R 5 is optionally substituted with a water solubilizing group; and

each R is selected from the group consisting of F, OH, H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, alkynyl and substituted alkynyl.

4. The dye according to claim 1 , wherein the multichromophore is described by the formula (II):

wherein:

B 1 and B 2 are each independently a BODIPY unit;

each M 1 and each M 2 are independently a π conjugated co-monomer;

a, b, c, d, e and f are each independently 0, 1 or 2, wherein b+e≧1;

n and m are independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 100,000, wherein n+m≧1;

p is an integer from 1 to 100,000; and

each L 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of a terminal group, a π conjugated segment, a linker and a linked specific binding member.

5. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of B 1 , B 2 , M 1 and M 2 comprises -L 1 -C 1 , wherein L 1 is an optional linker and C 1 is the acceptor chromophore.

6. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein the dye is described by the formula (III):

wherein each L 1 is an optional linker and each C 1 is an acceptor chromophore.

7. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein the dye is described by the formula (IV):

wherein each L 1 is an optional linker and each C 1 is an acceptor chromophore.

8. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein the dye is described by the formula (V):

wherein each L 2 is an optional linker and each C 1 is an acceptor chromophore.

9. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein the dye is described by the formula (VI):

wherein each L 1 is an optional linker and each C 1 is an acceptor chromophore.

10. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein B 1 and B 2 are each independently described by the following structure:

wherein R 6 is an aryl or a heteroaryl, optionally substituted with one or more water solubilizing groups.

11. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein at least one L 2 is -L 3 -Z where L 3 is a linker and Z is a specific binding member.

12. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein each M 1 and M 2 are each independently described by the following structure:

wherein:

each R 7 is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aralkyl, a substituted aralkyl, a PEG moiety and -L 1 -C 1 .

13. The dye according to claim 4 , wherein:

M 1 is described by the following structure:

wherein each R 8 is a substituted aralkyl that comprises a water solubilizing group; and

M 2 is described by the following structure:

wherein R 9 is a substituted alkyl that comprises a water solubilizing group, and R 19 is -L 1 -C 1 .

14. A labelled specific binding member, comprising:

a polymeric tandem dye comprising:

a water soluble light harvesting BODIPY unit-comprising multichromophore;

an acceptor chromophore covalently linked to the multichromophore in energy-receiving proximity therewith; and

a specific binding member covalently linked to the multichromophore.

15. The labelled specific binding member according to claim 14 , wherein the multichromophore comprises a BODIPY-comprising conjugated segment described by formula (I):

wherein:

B is a BODIPY unit;

M is a π conjugated co-monomer;

each L is independently selected from the group consisting of a terminal group, a π conjugated segment, a linker and a linked specific binding member; and

n is an integer of 1 to 100,000.

16. The labelled specific binding member according to claim 14 , wherein the BODIPY unit is described by the structure:

wherein:

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each independently selected from H, an alkyl and a substituted alkyl;

R 5 is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aryl, a substituted aryl, a heteroaryl and a substituted heteroaryl, wherein R 5 is optionally substituted with a water solubilizing group; and

each R is selected from the group consisting of F, OH, H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, alkynyl and substituted alkynyl.

17. The labelled specific binding member according to claim 14 , wherein the multichromophore is described by the formula (II):

wherein:

B 1 and B 2 are each independently a BODIPY unit;

each M 1 and each M 2 are independently a π conjugated co-monomer;

a, b, c, d, e and f are each independently 0, 1 or 2, wherein b+e≧1;

n and m are independently 0 to 100,000, wherein n+m≧1; and

one L 2 group is a terminal group (G 1 ) and the other L 2 group is a linked specific binding member.

18. The labelled specific binding member according to claim 17 , wherein at least one of B 1 , B 2 , M 1 and M 2 comprises -L 1 -C 1 , wherein L′ is an optional linker and C 1 is the acceptor chromophore.

19. The labelled specific binding member according to claim 14 , wherein the acceptor chromophore is selected from the group consisting of a cyanine dye, a xanthene dye, a coumarin dye, a thiazine dye and an acridine dye.

20. A method of evaluating a sample for the presence of a target analyte, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the sample with a polymeric tandem dye conjugate that specifically binds the target analyte to produce a labelling composition contacted sample, wherein the polymeric tandem dye conjugate comprises:

(i) a light harvesting BODIPY unit-comprising multichromophore;

(ii) an acceptor chromophore covalently linked to the multichromophore in energy-receiving proximity therewith; and

(iii) a specific binding member; and

(b) assaying the labelling composition contacted sample for the presence of a polymeric tandem dye conjugate-target analyte binding complex to evaluate whether the target analyte is present in the sample.