The binding of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) to membranes prepared from human liver was investigated, and a specific, saturable, high-affinity binding site (Kd = 3.4 nM) was identified. The binding of t-PA to liver membranes was not affected by an excess of D-mannose or D-galactose, or by active urokinase (u-PA), whereas binding of t-PA to membranes prepared from human HepG2 hepatoma cells was inhibited by u-PA. HepG2-membrane-bound t-PA was fully complexed to PA inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), whereas liver-membrane-bound t-PA was not complexed. Gel filtration on Sephacryl S300 of membrane proteins solubilized in deoxycholate revealed that high-affinity t-PA binding activity elutes at an apparent molecular mass of 40 kDa. Monoclonal antibodies specific for the growth factor and the kringle 2 domains inhibited the binding of t-PA to liver membranes and the catabolism of t-PA by rat hepatoma cells. Human liver membranes also bound u-PA; binding was inhibited by pro-u-PA, the N-terminal fragment of u-PA, but not by the 33 kDa form of u-PA or by t-PA. Our results show that human liver membranes contain a specific 40 kDa binding protein for t-PA that is different from the PAI-1-dependent receptor described on HepG2 cells and the mannose receptor isolated from human liver.