Treatment of liver plasma membranes with trypsin at low concentrations (1 to 2 microgram/mg of protein) caused at 3- to 4-fold increase in alpha-specific [3H]epinephrine binding. The change was due to an increase in the number of high affinity binding sites, with no change in the dissociation constant. With increasing trypsin concentrations, the dissociation constant was decreased and there was a progressive loss of binding. Elastase, papain, and thermolysin caused similar effects, whereas the thrombin, leucine aminopeptidase, phospholipase A2, phospholipase C, phospholipase D, and detergents did not cause an increase in [EH]epinephrine binding. The increase in epinephrine high affinity binding sites was correlated with a loss of high affinity [3H]-dihydroergocryptine binding sites which also bind [3H]epinephrine with low affinity (El-Refai, M. F., Blackmore, P. F., and Exton, J. H. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 4375-4386). Incubation of membranes with the alpha blockers dihydroergocryptine (50 nM) and phenoxybenzamine (20 nM) prior to protease treatment diminished the increase in [3H]epinephrine binding induced by trypsin (1.5 microgram/mg). The concentration dependence and time course of trypsin actions on 70 nM [3H]epinephrine binding and 10 nM [3H]dihydroergocryptine binding are consistent with a trypsin-mediated conversion of low affinity epinephrine binding sites to high affinity epinephrine binding sites.