Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) found in sera from patients with SLE react with cardiolipin (CL) in the presence of a 50-kDa serum cofactor. The cofactor, which was identified to be beta 2-glycoprotein I by sequencing the N-terminal amino acids, not only enhances CL binding by antibodies in SLE but also depresses it by antibodies associated with syphilis. Cofactor-dependent binding of aCL in SLE to solid phase CL was competitively inhibited by the simultaneous addition of fluid phase CL but was unaffected by either prior or simultaneous addition of a high excess of the cofactor. Binding of aCL in syphilis to solid phase CL was competitively inhibited by either addition of the cofactor or fluid phase CL. aCL in SLE reacted with CL, PS, and PA in the presence of cofactor. In contrast, biotinyl-cofactor bound directly to these anionic phospholipids (PL) and also to PG. These results show that the cofactor-CL complex bears an epitope that confers recognition specificity for aCL in SLE, in contrast with direct CL recognition by syphilitic aCL. The direct binding of the cofactor to PL suggests that the cofactor dependence of aCL binding to PL is due to recognition by aCL of a unique epitope generated upon the formation of the cofactor-CL complex.