CLAIMS.
1. A cyanine dye binding in the groove of DNA, selected from the group of
or
wherein A1 and A2 are each independently O, S, or N, and R is H or a carbohydrate that may contain a hetero atom, and m is 0 to 5, and n is 0 to 5.
2. A cyanine dye according to claim 1, wherein R is methyl, or ethyl, and m is 1 and n is 0.
3. A cyanine dye according to claim 1, wherein R is methyl, or ethyl, and m is 1 and n is 0 and A1 and A2 is S.
4. A cyanine dye according to claim 1, wherein R is methyl, or ethyl, and m is 1 and n is 0 and A1 and A2 is O.
5. A cyanine dye according to claim 1, wherein R is methyl, or ethyl, and m is 1 and n is 0 and A1 is S and A2 is O.
3. A cyanine dye according to claim 1, having the pyridine/quinoline ring in 2- position.
4. Probe for nucleic acid hybridization comprising a cyanine dye according to claims
1-2.
5. Method for carrying out a real-time PCR-reaction of a DNA template, wherein a fluorescent dye increasing its fluorescent reaction when it is looked in a minor groove position in a double stranded DNA is used, whereby the dye comprises at least 2 aromatic ring systems both comprising at least one nitrogen atom, which rings are linked by a alkine goup having up to four carbon atoms to form a conjugated bond, and the dye further comprises at least a third aromatic system linked thereto via a bond having a significant double string character, such as a single bond or a ethin bond, to provide a stiff conjugated system.
6. Method according to claim 4, wherein the dye is an asymmetric cyanine dye.
7. Method according to claim 4, wherein one of the cyanine residues contains S and/or O.
8. Method according to claim 4, wherein the dye compound is crescent shaped.
9. Method according to claim 4, wherein the dye is a derivative according to one or more of claims 1-2.