Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) derivatives of the types N6-R-ATP [R = (CH2)nNHCOCH2I, (CH2)nNHCO-(CH2)mNHCOCH2I, or (CH2)nCON(Me)(CH2)mN(Me)CO(CH2)nNHCOCH2I], N6-Me-N6-R-ATP [R = (CH2)nN-(Me)CO(CH2)mNHCOCH2I], and 8-R-ATP [R = NM(CH2)nNHCOCH2I] with 5--19 spacer atoms between N6 or C-8 and iodine have been evaluated as potential exo-ATP-site-directed reagents for phosphokinases. Substrate and inhibitor properties indicated that the compounds possessed affinity for the ATP sites of the muscle (M), kidney (K), and liver (L) isozymes of rat pyruvate kinase (PK), of E. coli thymidine kinase (TK), and of yeast hexokinase (HK) and rat KH I, II, and III isozymes. Tests for time-dependent loss of enzyme activity (inactivation) were performed under conditions in which a large proportion of each phosphokinase was present as an enzyme-inhibitor complex. No ATP-site-directed inactivations resulted when the M, L, or K isozymes of PK were exposed for 8 h, 22 degrees C, to 5 mM levels of 18 ATP derivatives or 6 analogous ADP derivatives or when yeast HK or rat KH I, II, or III was exposed for 6 h, 22 degrees C, to 5 mM levels of 28 ATP derivatives. Escherichia coli TK was inactivated by 6 of 25 ATP derivatives tested at 10 mM, 6 h, 0 degrees C; inactivation was slowed by MgATP in the case of N6-CH3-N6-R-ATP [R = (CH2)4N(CH3)CO(CH2)5NHCOCH2I]. Only 1% of 298 enzyme-inhibitor combinations exhibited ATP-site-directed inactivation, signifying that few suitably positioned and sufficiently reactive nucleophilic groups were present near the enzymic ATP sites. Studies have now shown that exo-active-site-directed reagents can act as isozyme- or species-selective enzyme inhibitors. The present survey indicates that in many cases such reagents may be difficult of access when data are not available regarding structural or physicochemical features of the target enzyme adjacent to its catalytic site.