Detailed investigations of the EPR-active copper ion in the trinuclear type 2/type 3 cluster site of T1Hg Rhus vernicifera laccase suggest that at least some inhibitor anions bind to what was an EPR-silent copper center of the resting enzyme. The key observation is that with [15N]azide the adduct exhibits remarkably well resolved ligand hyperfine structure indicative of splitting from three protein (histidine) nitrogens and one azide nitrogen. This accords nicely with recent X-ray diffraction studies of adducts of the related enzyme, ascorbate oxidase (A. Messerschmidt, H. Luecke, and R. Huber, 1993, J. Mol. Biol. 230, 997-1014). We have also characterized a previously unknown dicyanide adduct that exhibits an EPR signal with ligand hyperfine structure from two protein nitrogens and two cyanide carbons. Cyanide may bind to the same copper center as azide, but not without a structural reorganization of the cluster. The results also imply that the protonation of a bridging ligand within the type 2/type 3 cluster explains the pH dependence of anion binding. Imidazole interacts with the protein but does not bind to the EPR-active copper. In keeping with the function of the dioxygen reduction site, the type 2/type 3 cluster in laccase proves to be an extremely flexible host capable of accommodating a variety of ligands.