The anionic requirements and the stoichiometric relationships of Na+-taurine cotransport into rat renal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were evaluated. External Cl- (100 mM) or Br- (100 mM) gradients supported the full overshoot of Na+-taurine symport and yielded similar high-affinity transport systems for taurine uptake. No active uptake of taurine was evident in the presence of external (100 mM) NaF, NaI, Na gluconate, or Na p-aminohippurate (PAH). Na+:taurine stoichiometry was 2.18:1 in the presence of Cl- and 1.60:1 in the presence of Br-. When the external anion gluconate was employed, Na+-dependent taurine uptake was negligible over the whole range of Na+ concentrations examined. Cl-:taurine and Br-:taurine stoichiometries in the presence of external Na+ were 0.97:1 and 0.81:1, respectively. External furosemide (1 mM) or bumetanide (1 mM) did not change taurine accumulation and kinetic parameters. The anionic transport inhibitors 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (5 x 10(-4) M), N-(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl)-2-aminoethylsulfonate (10(-3) M) and p-chloromercuribenzoate (5 x 10(-4) M) significantly decreased initial rate of taurine uptake by 48, 31, and 31%, respectively. These data suggest that Na+-taurine cotransport into rat renal BBMV is Cl- or Br- dependent and probably operates by means of 2 Na+:1 Cl- or Br-:1 taurine carrier complex. Na+-taurine symport across the rat renal brush-border membrane surface is not affected by diuretics that influence NaCl cotransport but is affected by selected anionic transport inhibitors. An intact anionic binding site may be needed for this translocation process.