We report the reconstitution of the smooth muscle vasopressin V1 receptor functionally coupled to a pertussis toxin-insensitive guanine nucleotide-binding protein. This V1 receptor was spontaneously coupled to this guanine nucleotide-binding protein upon solubilization in the absence of agonist, in contrast to our earlier report on the liver V1 receptor, which required agonist for coupling. The smooth muscle V1 receptor was reconstituted as a high affinity receptor (Kd = 5 nM), with a slow rate of agonist dissociation. Upon the addition of guanosine 5'-thiotriphosphate, there was a decrease in receptor affinity (Kd = 30 nM) concomitant with an increase in the rate of ligand dissociation. The ability of the smooth muscle V1 receptor to spontaneously couple to a guanine nucleotide-binding protein(s) suggests that in the absence of agonist it exists as a high affinity receptor. The smooth muscle V1 receptor may, therefore, be more sensitive to plasma concentrations of vasopressin than its liver homologue.