Delta-opiate receptors have been solubilized with the non-ionic bile salt detergent digitonin from NG108-15 cell membranes and reconstituted into lipid vesicles. Specific opiate binding was restored to soluble receptor preparations after supplementation with a brain lipid extract, and dilution below the effective detergent concentration. Saturable and specific opiate binding was measured for both membrane and vesicle preparations; dissociation constants (Kd) obtained from saturation isotherms of [3H]bremazocine binding were 1.3 and 4.2 nM, respectively. Relative affinity (IC50) values of ligand binding measured for subtype-selective agonists confirmed that a delta-opiate binding site interaction was recovered in vesicle preparations. Changes in agonist binding affinity noted for these experiments were explained by dissociation of the GTP-binding protein Gi from the receptor in detergent. The recovery of solubilized opiate receptors was nearly quantitative, and strictly dependent upon the total brain lipid preparation used in the reconstitution. Ligand binding was incompletely recovered after substituting pure, vesicle-forming phospholipid preparations. [3H]Bremazocine binding was also reconstituted after lectin affinity chromatography of solubilized receptor preparations, using conditions which likely effect the removal of endogenous lipid cofactors. A photoaffinity cross-linking methodology was employed to verify recovery of the delta-opiate receptor after its solubilization from membranes and reconstitution. Two membrane-associated proteins (50 and 70 kDa) were covalently tagged with an azido analog of beta-endorphin(Leu5) in cell membranes and subsequently identified by immunoblotting with antisera directed against this opioid. Labeling of the 50-kDa polypeptide was prevented by coincubating assay samples with a relative excess of (D-Pen2,5)enkephalin. This opioid binding polypeptide was also present in solubilized/reconstituted receptor preparations.