Inhibition of substrate binding to maltose-binding protein (MBP) was investigated with structurally modified maltose and maltotriose derivatives that were designed based on the X-ray analysis of maltose and maltotriose bound to MBP. In maltose, positions 1a, 2a, 2b, 4b and 6b were modified (compounds 1-3, 18a, b, 28a-c, 39 and 44) of which only the trivalent maltose derivatives 39 and 44 exhibited high affinity to MBP. Maltotriose modifications were carried out at posi-