Plasma membranes from bovine epididymal spermatozoa possess both cAMP-independent and cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity. With the synthetic peptide, Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly as substrate, the basal activity of the membrane-associated protein kinase(s) was 0.1 nmol phosphate incorporated X min X mg protein. In the presence of 5 microM cAMP, the apparent activity was increased about twofold. The addition of Nonidet P-40 (0.05%) to the assay mixture increased protein kinase activity to 0.4 and 4.0 nmol phosphate incorporated X min X mg protein in the absence or presence of 5 microM cAMP, respectively. Both isozymes of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase were detected in detergent-solubilized membranes but 95% of the activity appeared as a Type II form based on DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. Several polypeptide components of the plasma membrane served as substrates for membrane-associated cAMP-dependent protein kinases, in vitro. In the absence of detergent, two cAMP-dependent phosphoproteins of 41,000 Mr and 60,000 Mr were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. When 0.05% Nonidet P-40 was included in the assay mixture, a cAMP-dependent phosphoprotein of 43,000 Mr appeared. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of membranes phosphorylated in the presence of 5 microM and 0.05% Nonidet P-40 revealed phosphoproteins of the following molecular weights/isoelectric points: 56,000/6.7, 56,000/6.9, 51,000/6.2, 42,000/5.9, 42,000/6.0, 38,000/6.1, 38,000/6.4, 14,000/7.2, 12,000/7.4 and a train of five polypeptides appearing at 14,000/5.4-6.0.