The effect of sulphydryl reagents (N-ethylmaleimide-NEM-4- hydroxymercuriobenzoate-HMB- and 5-5'-dithio-bis-2-nitrobenzoate-DTNB-) on agonist and antagonist binding to A1 adenosine receptors from pig brain was studied. The action of the mercurial agent HMB was found to be strong and seemed to be nonspecific. The effects of either NEM or DTNB were milder and more specific. The characterization of the agonist binding in membranes pretreated with moderate concentrations of DTNB and NEM led to reduced affinities for both high- and low-affinity sites without marked modifications of maximal binding or of proportion of affinity states. These results for NEM are surprising since the compound is usually used to mimick the effects of Gpp(NH)p, i.e. to shift high-affinity states to low-affinity states. It was found that this Gpp(NH)p-like effect of NEM is only possible when the compound is included in the assay medium. Similarly, Gpp(NH)p produces the uncoupling of the receptor molecule from G protein if included in the assay medium. Thus, membranes pretreated with Gpp(NH)p exhibited both affinity states and with similar equilibrium binding parameter values to those of the crude membranes.