The effect of rat synthetic atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) on adenylate cyclase activity was studied in adrenal cortical membranes. Synthetic ANF (Arg 101-Tyr 126) inhibited adenylate cyclase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. The maximum inhibition observed was about 25% with an apparent ki of 5 X 10(-11) to 10(-10) M. Various hormones such as isoproterenol, dopamine, prostaglandin (PGE1) and ACTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase to various degrees and ANF inhibited the stimulatory effect of all these hormones to some degree but never abolished it. In addition, ANF was also able to inhibit the stimulation exerted by forskolin which activates adenylate cyclase by receptor-independent mechanism. This is the first study demonstrating the inhibitory effect of ANF on adrenal cortical adenylate cyclase. From these results it can be suggested that the inhibition of adenylate cyclase may be one of the mechanisms through which ANF exerts the inhibitory effect on steroidogenesis stimulated by various hormones and agents.