Kinetic measurement of the uptake of N-acetyl[4,5,6,7,8,9-14C]neuraminic acid by Escherichia coli K-235 was carried out in vivo at 37 degrees C in 0.1 M-Tris/maleate buffer, pH 7.0. Under these conditions uptake was linear for at least 30 min and the Km calculated for sialic acid was 30 microM. The transport system was osmotic-shock-sensitive and was strongly inhibited by uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation [2,4-dinitrophenol (100%); NaN3 (66%]) and by the metabolic inhibitors KCN (84%) and sodium arsenate (76%). The thiol-containing compounds mercaptoethanol, glutathione, cysteine, dithiothreitol and cysteine had no significant effect on the sialic acid-transport rate, whereas the thiol-modifying reagents N-ethylmaleimide, iodoacetate and p-chloromercuribenzoate almost completely blocked (greater than 94%) the uptake of this N-acetyl-sugar. N-Acetylglucosamine inhibited non-competitively the transport of N-acetylneuraminic acid, whereas other carbohydrates (hexoses, pentoses, hexitols, hexuronic acids, disaccharides, trisaccharides) and N-acetyl-sugars or amino acid derivatives (N-acetylmannosamine, N-acetylcysteine, N-acetylproline and N-acetylglutamic acid) did not have any effect. Surprisingly, L-methionine and its non-sulphur analogue L-norleucine partially blocked the transport of this sugar (50%), whereas D-methionine, D-norleucine, several L-methionine derivatives (L-methionine methyl ester, L-methionine ethyl ester, L-methionine sulphoxide) and other amino acids did not affect sialic acid uptake. The N-acetylneuraminic acid-transport system is induced by sialic acid and is strictly regulated by the carbon source used for E. coli growth, arabinose, lactose, glucose, fructose and glucosamine being the carbohydrates that cause the greatest repressions in this system. Addition of cyclic AMP to the culture broth reversed the glucose effect, indicating that the N-acetylneuraminic acid-uptake system is under catabolic regulation. Protein synthesis is not needed for sialic acid transport.