The effect of aurovertin on the binding parameters of ADP and ATP to native F1 from beef heart mitochondria in the presence of EDTA has been explored. Three exchangeable sites per F1 were titrated by ADP and ATP in the absence or presence of aurovertin. Curvilinear Scatchard plots for the binding of both ADP and ATP were obtained in the absence of aurovertin, indicating one high affinity site (Kd for ADP = 0.6-0.8 microM; Kd for ATP = 0.3-0.5 microM) and two lower affinity sites (Kd for ADP = 8-10 microM; Kd for ATP = 7-10 microM). With a saturating concentration of aurovertin capable of filling the three beta subunits of F1, the curvilinearity of the Scatchard plots was decreased for ATP binding and abolished for ADP binding, indicating homogeneity of ADP binding sites in the F1-aurovertin complex (Kd for ADP = 2 microM). When only the high affinity aurovertin site was occupied, maximal enhancement of the fluorescence of the F1-aurovertin complex was attained with 1 mol of ADP bound per mol of F1 and maximal quenching for 1 mol of ATP bound per mol of F1. When the F1-aurovertin complex was incubated with [3H]ADP followed by [14C]ATP, full fluorescence quenching was attained when ATP had displaced the previously bound ADP. In the case of the isolated beta subunit, both ADP and ATP enhanced the fluorescence of the beta subunit-aurovertin complex. The Kd values for ADP and ATP in the presence of EDTA were 0.6 mM and 3.7 mM, respectively; MgCl2 decreased the Kd values to 0.1 mM for both ADP and ATP. It is postulated that native F1 possesses three equivalent interacting nucleotide binding sites and exists in two conformations which are in equilibrium and recognize either ATP (T conformation) or ADP (D conformation). The negative interactions between the nucleotide binding sites of F1 are strongest in the D conformation. Upon addition of aurovertin, the site-site cooperativity between the beta subunits of F1 is decreased or even abolished.