The amino acids involved in substrate (cAMP) binding to human platelet cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE3A) are identified. Less is known about the inhibitor (cGMP) binding site. We have now synthesized a nonhydrolyzable reactive cGMP analog, Rp-guanosine-3',5'-cyclic-S-(4-bromo-2, 3-dioxobutyl)monophosphorothioate (Rp-cGMPS-BDB). Rp-cGMPS-BDB irreversibly inactivates PDE3A (K(1) = 43.4 +/- 7.2 mu M and k(cart) = 0.007 +/- 0.0006 min(-1)). The effectiveness of protectants in decreasing the rate of inactivation by Rp-cGMPS-BDB is: Rp-cGMPS (K(d) = 72 mu M) > Sp-cGMPS (124), Sp-cAMPS (182) > GMP (1517), Rp-cAMPS (3762), AMP (4370 mu M). NAD(+), neither a substrate nor an inhibitor of PDE3A, does not protect. Nonhydrolyzable cGMP analogs exhibit greater affinity than the cAMP analogs. These results indicate that Rp-cGMPS-BDB targets favorably the cGMP binding site consistent with a docking model of PDE3A-Rp-cGMPS-BDB active site. We conclude that Rp-cGMPS-BDB is an effective active site-directed affinity label for PDE3A with potential for other cGMP-dependent enzymes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.