Earlier we presented preliminary data suggesting that the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) is bound with an association constant (Ka) approximating 2 X 10(11) M-1 by the ADP/ATP carrier, adenine nucleotide translocase (AdNT) purified from beef heart mitochondria (Endocrinology 110: 292, 1986). We now report that [125I] T3 is capable of photoaffinity labeling not only purified AdNT but also the carrier in intact beef heart mitochondria. The identity of the covalently labeled AdNT was corroborated by two dimensional electrophoresis (O'Farrell) with pI approximately 10 on electrofocusing (first dimension) and Mr approximately 31,000 on SDS gel (second dimension). Further identification of the covalently labeled material as authentic AdNT was afforded by recognition by specific monoclonal antibodies. Moreover, we found that addition of excess nonradioactive T3 to intact mitochondria or to mitochondrial protein solution prior to photoaffinity labeling resulted in inhibition of formation of labeled AdNT, compatible with saturation of limited capacity binding sites rather than nonspecific labeling with the ligand [125I] T3. It was considered highly significant that labeling in intact mitochondria was at least an order of magnitude greater than that observed with purified AdNT. This finding is compatible with our concept of an important role of the lipid microenvironment in the intact mitochondrial membrane in T3 binding.