Instructional Communities of Practice during COVID-19: Social Networks and Their Implications for Resilience.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most spring 2020 university courses were abruptly transitioned mid-semester to remote learning. The current study was an exploratory investigation into the interactions among individuals within a single biology department during this transition. Our goal was to describe the patterns of interactions among members of this community, including with whom they gave advice on instruction, shared materials, co-constructed materials, and shared emotions, during the rapid online transition. We explored how instructional teams (i.e., the instructor of record and graduate teaching assistants, or GTAs, assigned to a single course) organized themselves, and what interactions exist outside of these instructional teams. Using social network analysis, we found that the flow of resources and support among instructional staff within this department suggest a collaborative and resilient community of practice. Most interactions took place between instructional staff teaching in the same course. While faculty members tended to have more connections than GTAs, GTAs remained highly interactive in this community. We consider how the observed networks might reflect a mobilization of social resources that are important for individual and departmental resilience in a time of crisis. Actively promoting supportive networks and network structures may be important as higher education continues to cope and adapt to the changing landscape brought on by COVID-19.

Murine Efficacy and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of the Flaviviral NS5 Capping Enzyme 2-Thioxothiazolidin-4-One Inhibitor BG-323.

Arthropod-borne flavivirus infection continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Identification of drug targets and novel antiflaviviral compounds to treat these diseases has become a global health imperative. A previous screen of 235,456 commercially available small molecules identified the 2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one family of compounds as inhibitors of the flaviviral NS5 capping enzyme, a promising target for antiviral drug development. Rational drug design methodologies enabled identification of lead compound BG-323 from this series. We have shown previously that BG-323 potently inhibits NS5 capping enzyme activity, displays antiviral effects in dengue virus replicon assays and inhibits growth of West Nile and yellow fever viruses with low cytotoxicity in vitro. In this study we further characterized BG-323's antiviral activity in vitro and in vivo. We found that BG-323 was able to reduce replication of WNV (NY99) and Powassan viruses in culture, and we were unable to force resistance into WNV (Kunjin) in long-term culture experiments. We then evaluated the antiviral activity of BG-323 in a murine model. Mice were challenged with WNV NY99 and administered BG-323 or mock by IP inoculation immediately post challenge and twice daily thereafter. Mice were bled and viremia was quantified on day three. No significant differences in viremia were observed between BG-323-treated and control groups and clinical scores indicated both BG-323-treated and control mice developed signs of illness on approximately the same day post challenge. To determine whether differences in in vitro and in vivo efficacy were due to unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties of BG-323, we conducted a pharmacokinetic evaluation of this small molecule. Insights from pharmacokinetic studies indicate that BG-323 is cell permeable, has a low efflux ratio and does not significantly inhibit two common cytochrome P450 (CYP P450) isoforms thus suggesting this molecule may be less likely to cause adverse drug interactions. However, the T1/2 of BG-323 was suboptimal and the percent of drug bound to plasma binding proteins was high. Future studies with BG-323 will be aimed at increasing the T1/2 and determining strategies for mitigating the effects of high plasma protein binding, which likely contribute to low in vivo efficacy.

Effects of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Purvalanol B application on protein expression and developmental progression in intra-erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum parasites.

BACKGROUND: The 2013 Malaria World Report indicated that in 2012 there were approximately 207 million cases of malaria, which resulted in an estimated 627,000 malaria-related deaths. Due to the alarming resistance of these parasites to traditional anti-malarial treatments there is a pressing need to not only identify new anti-malarial compounds, but also to characterize the effect of compounds known to have an effect on the parasite life cycle. This study reports on effects of kinase inhibitor Purvalanol B administration on the growth and protein expression of Plasmodium falciparum late-stage trophozoites. METHODS: A SYBR® Green I parasite growth assay was used to measure the IC50 of Purvalanol B with P. falciparum (strain W2). Purvalanol B or DMSO control were applied to synchronized parasites 36 hours post invasion and parasites were incubated for 12 hours. Giemsa-stained blood smears were used to determine the effect of Purvalanol B on parasite growth, global quantitative proteomic analysis was used to examine differences in protein expression between Purvalanol B-treated and control parasites and results were confirmed by qPCR. RESULTS: There were no differences in parasitaemia between inhibitor-treated and control parasites. However, the ability of Purvalanol B-treated parasites to form schizonts was significantly reduced. Proteomic analysis detected 76 human proteins and 518 P. falciparum proteins (63 in control cultures only, 56 proteins in Purvalanol B cultures only, and 399 proteins in both cultures). Quantitative analysis of protein extracts revealed eight proteins that were up-regulated in the inhibitor-treated cultures, including several components of the parasite's proteasome complex and thioredoxin reductase. Two proteins appeared to be down-regulated, including a helicase and an RNA-binding protein. CONCLUSION: Purvalanol B application decreases the ability of late-stage P. falciparum trophozoites to form multinucleated schizonts and up-regulates proteasome subunits and proteins that contribute to redox homeostasis, which may indicate an increase in oxidative stress as a result of inhibitor application. While the efficacy of Purvalanol B is relatively low for use as an anti-malarial therapy, quantitative proteomic analysis may serve as a method of examining the action of drugs on the parasite and indicate the likelihood of future resistance development.

Malarial kinases: novel targets for in silico approaches to drug discovery.

Malaria, the disease caused by infection with protozoan parasites from the genus Plasmodium, claims the lives of nearly 1 million people annually. Developing nations, particularly in the African Region, bear the brunt of this malaria burden. Alarmingly, the most dangerous etiologic agent of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, is becoming increasingly resistant to current first-line antimalarials. In light of the widespread devastation caused by malaria, the emergence of drug-resistant P. falciparum strains, and the projected decrease in funding for malaria eradication that may occur over the next decade, the identification of promising new targets for antimalarial drug design is imperative. P. falciparum kinases have been proposed as ideal drug targets for antimalarial drug design because they mediate critical cellular processes within the parasite and are, in many cases, structurally and mechanistically divergent when compared with kinases from humans. Identifying a molecule capable of inhibiting the activity of a target enzyme is generally an arduous and expensive process that can be greatly aided by utilizing in silico drug design techniques. Such methods have been extensively applied to human kinases, but as yet have not been fully exploited for the exploration and characterization of antimalarial kinase targets. This review focuses on in silico methods that have been used for the evaluation of potential antimalarials and the Plasmodium kinases that could be explored using these techniques.

Identification of a novel antiviral inhibitor of the flavivirus guanylyltransferase enzyme.

Arthropod-borne flavivirus infection causes serious morbidity and mortality worldwide, but there are currently no effective antiflaviviral chemotherapeutics available for human use. Therefore, it is critical that new therapeutics against virus-specific targets be developed. To identify new compounds that may be used as broadly active flavivirus therapeutics, we have performed a high-throughput screening of 235,456 commercially available compounds for small-molecule inhibitors of the dengue virus NS5 RNA capping enzyme. We identified a family of compounds, the 2-thioxothiazolidin-4-ones, that show potent biochemical inhibition of capping enzyme GTP binding and guanylyltransferase function. During the course of structure-activity relationship analysis, a molecule within this family, (E)-{3-[5-(4-tert-butylbenzylidene)-4-oxo-2-thioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl]propanoic acid} (BG-323), was found to possess significant antiviral activity in a dengue virus subgenomic replicon assay. Further testing of BG-323 demonstrated that this molecule is able to reduce the replication of infectious West Nile virus and yellow fever virus in cell culture with low toxicity. The results of this study describe the first inhibitor that targets the GTP-binding/guanylyltransferase activity of the flavivirus RNA capping enzyme.

A high-throughput screening assay for the identification of flavivirus NS5 capping enzyme GTP-binding inhibitors: implications for antiviral drug development.

There are no effective antivirals currently available for the treatment of flavivirus infection in humans. As such, the identification and characterization of novel drug target sites are critical to developing new classes of antiviral drugs. The flavivirus NS5 N-terminal capping enzyme (CE) is vital for the formation of the viral RNA cap structure, which directs viral polyprotein translation and stabilizes the 5' end of the viral genome. The structure of the flavivirus CE has been solved, and a detailed understanding of the CE-guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and CE-RNA cap interactions is available. Because of the essential nature of the interaction for viral replication, disrupting CE-GTP binding is an attractive approach for drug development. The authors have previously developed a robust assay for monitoring CE-GTP binding in real time. They adapted this assay for high-throughput screening and performed a pilot screen of 46 323 commercially available compounds. A number of small-molecule inhibitors capable of displacing a fluorescently labeled GTP in vitro were identified, and a second functional assay was developed to identify false positives. The results presented indicate that the flavivirus CE cap-binding site is a valuable new target site for antiviral drug discovery and should be further exploited for broad-spectrum anti-flaviviral drug development.

Exploring novel targets for antimalarial drug discovery: plasmodial protein kinases.

Protein kinases are pursued drug targets in numerous diseases including parasitic infections such as malaria. Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malarial parasite, relies on numerous protein kinases to regulate growth and differentiation through a complex life cycle that alternates between an invertebrate and vertebrate host. Many of the protein kinases are uncharacterized, however genetic and biochemical approaches have identified homologues of known eukaryotic kinases families as well as unique families of plasmodial kinases. Several classes of protein kinases have been studied, revealing that not only are these kinases essential for parasite viability, but that structure-based drug design strategies can be applicable to identify protein kinase inhibitors as antimalarial agents. In this review, we profile plasmodial protein kinases that have been characterized. Such a profile allows comparison across the plasmodial kinome and aids in placing these kinases within signaling networks responsible for biological activity but also provides a rationale to develop inhibitors that target multiple plasmodial kinases. With wide spread malaria drug resistance, coupled by a parasite that can develop resistance quickly to new drugs, the development of multi-kinase inhibitors may be extremely efficacious and reduce the likelihood for resistance.

Novel delta opioid receptor agonists exhibit differential stimulation of signaling pathways.

A novel family of 1,3,5-trisubstituted 1,2,4-triazoles was discovered as potent and selective ligands for the delta opioid receptor by rational design. Compound 5b exhibited low-nanomolar in vitro binding affinity (IC(50)=5.8 nM), excellent selectivity for the delta opioid receptor over the alternative mu and kappa opioid receptors, full agonist efficacy in receptor down-regulation and MAP kinase activation assays, and low-efficacy partial agonist activity in stimulation of GTPgammaS binding. The apparent discrepancy observed in these functional assays may stem from different signaling pathways involved in each case, as found previously for other G-protein coupled receptors. More biological studies are underway to better understand the differential stimulation of signaling pathways by these novel compounds.

Selective inhibition of Pfmrk, a Plasmodium falciparum CDK, by antimalarial 1,3-diaryl-2-propenones.

The cyclin dependent protein kinases, Pfmrk and PfPK5, most likely play an essential role in cell cycle control and differentiation in Plasmodium falciparum and are thus an attractive target for antimalarial drug development. Various 1,3-diaryl-2-propenones (chalcone derivatives) which selectivity inhibit Pfmrk in the low micromolar range (over PfPK5) are identified. Molecular modeling shows a pair of amino acid residues within the Pfmrk active site which appear to confer this selectivity. Predicted interactions between the chalcones and Pfmrk correlate well with observed potency. Pfmrk inhibition and activity against the parasite in vitro correlate weakly. Several mechanisms of action have been suggested for chalcone derivatives and our study suggests that kinase inhibition may be an additional mechanism of antimalarial activity for this class of compounds.

Novel microtubule polymerization inhibitor with potent antiproliferative and antitumor activity.

Microtubule-stabilizing and microtubule-destabilizing agents are commonly used as anticancer agents. Although highly effective, success with these agents has been limited due to their relative insolubility, cumbersome synthesis/purification, toxic side effects, and development of multidrug resistance. Hence, the identification of improved agents that circumvent one or more of these problems is warranted. We recently described the rational design of a series of triazole-based compounds as antimitotic agents. Members of this N-substituted 1,2,4-triazole family of compounds exhibit potent tubulin polymerization inhibition and broad spectrum cellular cytotoxicity. Here, we extensively characterize the in vitro and in vivo effects of our lead compound from the series 1-methyl-5-(3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-4-yl)-1H-indole, designated T115. We show that T115 competes with colchicine for its binding pocket in tubulin, produces robust inhibition of tubulin polymerization, and disrupts the microtubule network system inside the cells. In addition, T115 arrests human cancer cells in the G(2)-M phase of cell cycling, a hallmark of microtubule destabilizing drugs. T115 also inhibits cell viability of several cancer cell lines, including multidrug-resistant cell lines, in the low nanomolar range. No cytotoxicity was observed by T115 against normal human skin fibroblasts cell lines, and acute toxicity studies in normal nontumor-bearing mice indicated that T115 is well-tolerated in vivo (maximum total tolerated dose, 400 mg/kg). In a mouse xenograft model using human colorectal (HT-29) and prostate (PC3) cancer cells, T115 significantly inhibited tumor growth when administered i.p. Taken together, our results suggest that T115 is a potential drug candidate for cancer chemotherapy.

Analysis of flavivirus NS5 methyltransferase cap binding.

The flavivirus 2'-O-nucleoside N-terminal RNA methyltransferase (MTase) enzyme is responsible for methylating the viral RNA cap structure. To increase our understanding of the mechanism of viral RNA cap binding we performed a detailed structural and biochemical characterization of the guanosine cap-binding pocket of the dengue (DEN) and yellow fever (YF) virus MTase enzymes. We solved an improved 2.1 A resolution crystal structure of DEN2 Mtase, new 1.5 A resolution crystal structures of the YF virus MTase domain in apo form, and a new 1.45 A structure in complex with guanosine triphosphate and RNA cap analog. Our structures clarify the previously reported DEN MTase structure, suggest novel protein-cap interactions, and provide a detailed view of guanine specificity. Furthermore, the structures of the DEN and YF proteins are essentially identical, indicating a large degree of structural conservation amongst the flavivirus MTases. Guanosine triphosphate analog competition assays and mutagenesis analysis, performed to analyze the biochemical characteristics of cap binding, determined that the major interaction points are (i) guanine ring via pi-pi stacking with Phe24, N1 hydrogen interaction with the Leu19 backbone carbonyl via a water bridge, and C2 amine interaction with Leu16 and Leu19 backbone carbonyls; (ii) ribose 2' hydroxyl interaction with Lys13 and Asn17; and (iii) alpha-phosphate interactions with Lys28 and Ser215. Based on our mutational and analog studies, the guanine ring and alpha-phosphate interactions provide most of the energy for cap binding, while the combination of the water bridge between the guanine N1 and Leu19 carbonyl and the hydrogen bonds between the C2 amine and Leu16/Leu19 carbonyl groups provide for specific guanine recognition. A detailed model of how the flavivirus MTase protein binds RNA cap structures is presented.

Focus on flaviviruses: current and future drug targets.

BACKGROUND: Infection by mosquito-borne flaviviruses (family Flaviviridae) is increasing in prevalence worldwide. The vast global, social and economic impact due to the morbidity and mortality associated with the diseases caused by these viruses necessitates therapeutic intervention. There is currently no effective clinical treatment for any flaviviral infection. Therefore, there is a great need for the identification of novel inhibitors to target the virus life cycle. DISCUSSION: In this article, we discuss structural and nonstructural viral proteins that are the focus of current target validation and drug discovery efforts. Both inhibition of essential enzymatic activities and disruption of necessary protein­protein interactions are considered. In addition, we address promising new targets for future research. CONCLUSION: As our molecular and biochemical understanding of the flavivirus life cycle increases, the number of targets for antiviral therapeutic discovery grows and the possibility for novel drug discovery continues to strengthen.

Evaluation of broad spectrum protein kinase inhibitors to probe the architecture of the malarial cyclin dependent protein kinase Pfmrk.

We tested Pfmrk against several naphthalene and isoquinoline sulfonamides previously reported as protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors. Pfmrk is a Cyclin Dependent protein Kinase (CDK) from Plasmodium falciparum, the causative parasite of the most lethal form of malaria. We find that the isoquinoline sulfonamides are potent inhibitors of Pfmrk and that substitution on the 5 position of the isoquinoline ring greatly influences the degree of potency. Molecular modeling studies suggest that the nitrogen atom in the isoquinoline ring plays a key role in ligand-receptor interactions. Structural analysis suggests that even subtle differences in amino acid composition within the active sites are responsible for conferring specificity of these inhibitors for Pfmrk over PKA.

Highly potent triazole-based tubulin polymerization inhibitors.

We describe the synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of tubulin polymerization inhibitors that contain the 1,2,4-triazole ring to retain the bioactive configuration afforded by the cis double bond in combretastatin A-4 (CA-4). Several of the subject compounds exhibited potent tubulin polymerization inhibitory activity as well as cytotoxicity against a variety of cancer cells including multi-drug-resistant (MDR) cancer cell lines. Attachment of the N-methyl-5-indolyl moiety to the 1,2,4-triazole core, as exemplified by compound 7, conferred optimal properties among this series. Computer docking and molecular simulations of 7 inside the colchicine binding site of tubulin enabled identification of residues most likely to interact strongly with these inhibitors and explain their potent anti-tubulin activity and cytotoxicity. It is hoped that results presented here will stimulate further examination of these substituted 1,2,4-triazoles as potential anti-cancer therapeutic agents.

Discovery of novel triazole-based opioid receptor antagonists.

We report the computer-aided design, chemical synthesis, and biological evaluation of a novel family of delta opioid receptor (DOR) antagonists containing a 1,2,4-triazole core structure that are structurally distinct from other known opioid receptor active ligands. Among those delta antagonists sharing this core structure, 8 exhibited strong binding affinity (K(i) = 50 nM) for the DOR and appreciable selectivity for delta over mu and kappa opioid receptors (delta/mu = 80; delta/kappa > 200).

Structural model of the Plasmodium CDK, Pfmrk, a novel target for malaria therapeutics.

Malaria, with 300-500 million clinical cases resulting in 1-3 million fatalities a year, is one of the most deadly tropical diseases. As current antimalarial therapeutics become increasingly ineffective due to parasitic resistance, there exists an urgent need to develop and pursue new therapeutic strategies. Recent genome sequencing and molecular cloning projects have identified several enzymes from Plasmodium (P.) falciparum that may represent novel drug targets, including a family of proteins that are homologous to the mammalian cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). CDKs are essential for the control of the mammalian cell cycle and, based on the conservation of the CDKs across species, the plasmodial CDKs are expected to play a crucial role in parasitic growth. Here we present a 3D structural model of Pfmrk, a putative human CDK activating kinase (CAK) homolog in P. falciparum. Notable features of the present structural model include: (1) parameterization of the Mg2+ hexacoordination system using ab initio quantum chemical calculations to accurately represent the ATP-kinase interaction; and (2) comparison between the docking scores and measured binding affinities for a series of oxindole-based Pfmrk inhibitors of known activity. Detailed analysis of inhibitor-Pfmrk binding interactions enabled us to identify specific residues (viz. Met66, Met75, Met91, Met94 and Phe143) within the Pfmrk binding pocket that may play an important role in inhibitor binding affinity and selectivity. The availability of this Pfmrk structural model, together with insights gained from analysis of ligand-receptor interactions, should promote the rational design of potent and selective Pfmrk inhibitors as antimalarial therapeutics.

3D-QSAR comparative molecular field analysis on delta opioid receptor agonist SNC80 and its analogs.

Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models were constructed using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) for a series of delta opioid receptor agonists: SNC80 analogs. Quantum chemical calculations on SNC80 show that protonation is preferred at the basic N4 atom over the alternative N1 atom, accordingly N4 protonation may contribute significantly to ligand-receptor interactions under physiologically relevant conditions. Statistically significant and predictive CoMFA models were achieved by pooling biological data from independent published sources, including compounds with both alphaR and alphaS benzylic configurations. Improved CoMFA models were obtained when the compounds were considered as N4-protonated species rather than neutral compounds. The influence of various atomic partial-charge formalisms, alignment schemes and additional molecular descriptors was evaluated in order to produce the highest quality models. In addition, separate CoMFA models were generated for compounds with only the alphaR benzylic configuration. These CoMFA models showed excellent internal predictability and consistency, and external validation using test-set compounds yielded predicted pIC50 values within 1log unit of the corresponding experimentally measured values. Key insights into the structure-activity relationship derived from the CoMFA analysis concur with experimentally observed data, thus the CoMFA models presented here find utility for predicting the binding affinity, and guiding the design, of novel SNC80 analogs and related delta opioid receptor agonists.

Elucidation of the Na+, K+-ATPase digitalis binding site.

Despite controversy over their use and the potential for toxic side effects, cardiac glycosides have remained an important clinical component for the treatment for congestive heart failure (CHF) and supraventricular arrhythmias since the effects of Digitalis purpurea were first described in 1785. While there is a wealth of information available with regard to the effects of these drugs on their pharmacological receptor, the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase, the exact molecular mechanism of digitalis binding and inhibition of the enzyme has remained elusive. In particular, the absence of structural knowledge about Na(+), K(+)-ATPase has thwarted the development of improved therapeutic agents with larger therapeutic indices via rational drug design approaches. Here, we propose a binding mode for digoxin and several analogues to the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase. A 3D-structural model of the extracellular loop regions of the catalytic alpha1-subunit of the digitalis-sensitive sheep Na(+), K(+)-ATPase was constructed from the crystal structure of an E(1)Ca(2+) conformation of the SERCA1a and a consensus orientation for digitalis binding was inferred from the in silico docking of a series of steroid-based cardiotonic compounds. Analyses of species-specific enzyme affinities for ouabain were also used to validate the model and, for the first time, propose a detailed model of the digitalis binding site.

Requirement of activated Cdc42-associated kinase for survival of v-Ras-transformed mammalian cells.

Activated Cdc42-associated kinase (ACK) has been shown to be an important effector molecule for the small GTPase Cdc42. We have shown previously an essential role for Cdc42 in the transduction of Ras signals for the transformation of mammalian cells. In this report, we show that the ACK-1 isoform of ACK plays a critical role in transducing Ras-Cdc42 signals in the NIH 3T3 cells. Overexpression of a dominant-negative (K214R) mutant of ACK-1 inhibits Ras-induced up-regulation of c-fos and inhibits the growth of v-Ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells. Using small interfering RNA, we knocked down the expression of ACK-1 in both v-Ha-Ras-transformed and parental NIH 3T3 cells and found that down-regulation of ACK-1 inhibited cell growth by inducing apoptosis only in v-Ha-Ras-transformed but not parental NIH 3T3 cells. In addition, we studied the effect of several tyrosine kinase inhibitors and found that PD158780 inhibits the kinase activity of ACK-1 in vitro. We also found that PD158780 inhibits the growth of v-Ha-Ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells. Taken together, our results suggest that ACK-1 kinase plays an important role in the survival of v-Ha-Ras-transformed cells, suggesting that ACK-1 is a novel target for therapies directed at Ras-induced cancer.

3D-QSAR comparative molecular field analysis on opioid receptor antagonists: pooling data from different studies.

Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models were constructed using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) on a series of opioid receptor antagonists. To obtain statistically significant and robust CoMFA models, a sizable data set of naltrindole and naltrexone analogues was assembled by pooling biological and structural data from independent studies. A process of "leave one data set out", similar to the traditional "leave one out" cross-validation procedure employed in partial least squares (PLS) analysis, was utilized to study the feasibility of pooling data in the present case. These studies indicate that our approach yields statistically significant and highly predictive CoMFA models from the pooled data set of delta, mu, and kappa opioid receptor antagonists. All models showed excellent internal predictability and self-consistency: q(2) = 0.69/r(2) = 0.91 (delta), q(2) = 0.67/r(2) = 0.92 (mu), and q(2) = 0.60/r(2) = 0.96 (kappa). The CoMFA models were further validated using two separate test sets: one test set was selected randomly from the pooled data set, while the other test set was retrieved from other published sources. The overall excellent agreement between CoMFA-predicted and experimental binding affinities for a structurally diverse array of ligands across all three opioid receptor subtypes gives testimony to the superb predictive power of these models. CoMFA field analysis demonstrated that the variations in binding affinity of opioid antagonists are dominated by steric rather than electrostatic interactions with the three opioid receptor binding sites. The CoMFA steric-electrostatic contour maps corresponding to the delta, mu, and kappa opioid receptor subtypes reflected the characteristic similarities and differences in the familiar "message-address" concept of opioid receptor ligands. Structural modifications to increase selectivity for the delta over mu and kappa opioid receptors have been predicted on the basis of the CoMFA contour maps. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) together with the CoMFA models should find utility for the rational design of subtype-selective opioid receptor antagonists.