The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family of endocytosis receptors has been implicated in binding and endocytosis of a large number of structurally unrelated proteins, including apolipoproteins, proteaseinhibitor complexes, extracellular matrix proteins, and hormone carriers. In mammals, this receptor family includes LDLR itself, low-density lipoprotein receptorrelated protein-1A (LRP-1A), LRP-1B, megalin or LRP-2, very-low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR), and apolipoprotein E receptor-2. These Keywords low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein; plasminogen activator inhibitor 1; sorting protein-related receptor; urokinase plasminogen activator; very-low-density lipoprotein receptor Some endocytosis receptors related to the low-density lipoprotein receptor, including low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1A, very-lowdensity lipoprotein receptor, and sorting protein-related receptor, bind protease-inhibitor complexes, including urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and the uPA-PAI-1 complex. The unique capacity of these receptors for high-affinity binding of many structurally unrelated ligands renders mapping of receptor-binding surfaces of serpin and serine protease ligands a special challenge. We have mapped the receptor-binding area of the uPA-PAI-1 complex by site-directed mutagenesis. Substitution of a cluster of basic residues near the 37-loop and 60-loop of uPA reduced the receptor-binding affinity of the uPA-PAI-1 complex approximately twofold. Deletion of the N-terminal growth factor domain of uPA reduced the affinity 2-4-fold, depending on the receptor, and deletion of both the growth factor domain and the kringle reduced the affinity sevenfold. The binding affinity of the uPA-PAI-1 complex to the receptors was greatly reduced by substitution of basic and hydrophobic residues in a-helix D and a-helix E of PAI-1. The localization of the implicated residues in the 3D structures of uPA and PAI-1 shows that they form a continuous receptor-binding area spanning the serpin as well as the A-chain and the serine protease domain of uPA. Our results suggest that the 10-100-fold higher affinity of the uPA-PAI-1 complex compared with the free components depends on the bonus effect of bringing the binding areas on uPA and PAI-1 together on the same binding entity.Abbreviations a 1 -PI, a 1 -antiproteinase inhibitor; CTR, complement type repeat; HEK293T, human embryonic kidney cell line 293T; LDLR, low-density lipoprotein receptor; LRP, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein; PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1; RAP, receptor-associated protein; RCL, reactive centre loop; sorLA, sorting protein-related receptor; SPD, serine protease domain; tPA, tissue-type plasminogen activator; uPA, urokinase-type plasminogen activator; uPAR, uPA receptor; VLDLR, very-low-density lipoprotein receptor.