5'-[p-(Fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine (FSA) was used to affinity-label the NADH binding region of 3 alpha, 20 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 alpha, 20 beta-HSD) to further test our hypothesis [Sweet, F., & Samant, B. R. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 978-986] that 3 alpha and 20 beta activities occur at the same active site. Incubation of 3 alpha, 20 beta-HSD (0.45 microM) with FSA (125 microM) at pH 7.0 and 0 degrees C caused simultaneous loss of 3 alpha and 20 beta activities by a first-order kinetic process, with t1/2 = 300 min for both activities. Dinucleotides and adenosine mononucleotides which acted as competitive inhibitors protected 3 alpha, 20 beta-HSD against inactivation by FSA in a concentration-dependent manner, in the order reduced nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate greater than oxidized nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate greater than adenosine diphosphate-ribose greater than adenosine diphosphate greater than adenosine monophosphate (AMP) greater than adenosine. Oxidized and reduced nicotinamide mononucleotides (NMH and NMNH) and steroid substrates did not protect 3 alpha, 20 beta-HSD against affinity labeling by FSA. Although NMN was not a competitive inhibitor of 3 alpha, 20 beta-HSD, NMN with AMP and also AMP with NMNH produced positive cooperativity for competitive inhibition of 3 alpha, 20 beta-HSD. The results from FSA affinity labeling of the cofactor region confirm that both 3 alpha and 20 beta activities share the same active site of 3 alpha, 20 beta-HSD and suggest a model of cofactor binding and promotion of enzyme activity. The adenosine 5'-phosphate component anchors the NAD or NADH to an adenosine domain in the cofactor binding region. The nicotinamide nucleotide component then carries out the hydrogen-transfer reaction at a neighboring domain near the steroid binding region.