We characterized structurally the receptors for somatostatin in rat cerebral cortex by affinity labeling with [125I-Tyr1] somatostatin. [125I-Tyr1] somatostatin was cross-linked to cerebrocortical membranes using photoreactive cross-linker: N-5-azido-2-nitrobenzoyloxy-succinimide. Analysis by autoradiography revealed a broad band centered at Mr = 72,000 in the presence or absence of dithiothreitol. Affinity labeling of and specific [125I-Tyr1] somatostatin binding to cerebrocortical membranes were decreased similarly by adding unlabeled somatostatin or nonhydrolyzable guanine nucleotide analogue, guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate, in a dose dependent manner. The pretreatment of cerebrocortical membranes with islet activating protein resulted in a decrease in subsequent affinity labeling of the protein. The cross-linked protein could be solubilized with Zwittergent 3-12 and poorly with digitonin, triton X-100 and NP-40. When exposed to agarose-coupled lectins, the solubilized labeled protein was absorbed to wheat germ agglutinin, partially to ricin communis-II, and not to concanavalin A or lentil lectin. The Mr = 72,000 protein bound to wheat germ agglutinin-agarose was eluted with not only N,N',N"-triacetylchitotriose but also N-acetylglucosamine. These results suggest that somatostatin receptors on cerebrocortical membranes are a monomeric glycoprotein with a Mr = 70,000 containing no disulfide-linked binding subunit, which is coupled to islet activating protein-sensitive guanine nucleotide regulatory protein.