In dispersed acini from guinea pig, mouse, or rat pancreas cholecystokinin-(27-33) is a full agonist, and removing the sulfate ester from the tyrosine residue in position 27 caused a 100- to 300-fold decrease in potency with no change in efficacy. In dispersed acini from mouse or rat pancreas, cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH2 is a partial agonist, and removing the sulfate ester from the tyrosine in position 27 abolished the efficacy. The desulfated peptide was able, however, to interact with CCK receptors with a potency that was threefold less than that of cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH2 and therefore functioned as a cholecystokinin receptor antagonist. In dispersed acini from guinea pig pancreas cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH2 is a cholecystokinin receptor antagonist. Removing the sulfate ester from the tyrosine residue in position 27 of cholecystokinin(27-32)-NH2 caused a fourfold decrease in potency but did not abolish the ability of the peptide to interact with cholecystokinin receptors; therefore, desulfated cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH2 functioned as a cholecystokinin receptor antagonist.