Whether the tightly bound ADP that can cause a pronounced inhibition of ATP hydrolysis by the chloroplast ATP synthase and F1 ATPase (CF1) is bound at catalytic sites or at noncatalytic regulatory sites or both has been uncertain. We have used photolabeling by 2-azido-ATP and 2-azido-ADP to ascertain the location, with Mg2+ activation, of tightly bound ADP (a) that inhibits the hydrolysis of ATP by chloroplast ATP synthase, (b) that can result in an inhibited form of CF1 that slowly regains activity during ATP hydrolysis, and (c) that arises when low concentrations of ADP markedly inhibit the hydrolysis of GTP by CF1. The data show that in all instances the inhibition is associated with ADP binding without inorganic phosphate (Pi) at catalytic sites. After photophosphorylation of ADP or 2-azido-ADP with [32P]Pi, similar amounts of the corresponding triphosphates are present on washed thylakoid membranes. Trials with appropriately labeled substrates show that a small portion of the tightly bound 2-azido-ATP gives rise to covalent labeling with an ATP moiety at noncatalytic sites but that most of the bound 2-azido-ATP gives rise to covalent labeling by an ADP moiety at a catalytic site. We also report the occurrence of a 1-2-min delay in the onset of the Mg2+-induced inhibition after addition of CF1 to solutions containing Mg2+ and ATP, and that this delay is not associated with the filling of noncatalytic sites. A rapid burst of Pi formation is followed by a much lower, constant steady-state rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)