Repurposing of a Nucleoside Scaffold from Adenosine Receptor Agonists to Opioid Receptor Antagonists

While screening off-target effects of rigid (N)-methanocarba-adenosine 5'-methylamides as A(3) adenosine receptor (AR) agonists, we discovered mu M binding hits at the d-opioid receptor (DOR) and translocator protein (TSPO). In an effort to increase OR and decrease AR affinity by structure activity analysis of this series, antagonist activity at kappa-(K)OR appeared in 5'-esters (ethyl 24 and propyl 30), which retained TSPO interaction (mu M). 7-Deaza modification of C2-(arylethynyl)-5'-esters but not 4'-truncation enhanced KOR affinity (MRS7299 28 and 29, K-1 approximate to 40 nM), revealed mu-OR and DOR binding, and reduced AR affinity. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations located a putative KOR binding mode consistent with the observed affinities, placing C7 in a hydrophobic region. 3-Deaza modification permitted TSPO but not OR binding, and 1-deaza was permissive to both; ribose-restored analogues were inactive at both. Thus, we have repurposed a known AR nucleoside scaffold for OR antagonism, with a detailed hypothesis for KOR recognition.