The initial rate of [14C]uridine transport by guinea pig erythrocytes was investigated at different temperatures. At 37, 22, and 10 degrees C the concentration dependence of uridine zero-trans influx and equilibrium exchange influx was resolved into two components; (a) a saturable component which followed simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics and which was inhibited by nitrobenzylthioinosine, and (b) a linear component of low magnitude and insensitive to nitrobenzylthioinosine inhibition. The maximum velocity, Vmax, of zero-trans uridine influx for the saturable transport system was 70-fold higher at 37 than 10 degrees C (1.24, 0.20, and 0.018 mmol/L of cells per hour at 37, 22, and 10 degrees C, respectively). Similarly, the apparent affinity, Km, for zero-trans influx decreased as the temperature was lowered (0.27, 0.066, and 0.038 mM at 37, 22, and 10 degrees C, respectively). In contrast, uridine equilibrium exchange influx was less temperature dependent (Vmax, 2.80, 0.89, and 0.14 mmol/L of cells per hour; apparent Km 0.61, 0.36, and 0.24 mM at 37, 22, and 10 degrees C, respectively). These results demonstrate that the mobility of the empty carrier is impaired to a greater extent than the mobility of the loaded carrier temperature decreased. However, the kinetic constants for zero-trans uridine influx and efflux at 37 degrees C were similar, indicating that the nucleoside transporter exhibited directional symmetry at 37 degrees C. Arrhenius plots of the maximum velocity for equilibrium exchange and zero-trans uridine influx were discontinuous above 25 degrees C, but between 20 and 5 degrees C the plots were linear (Ea = 22 and 30 kcal/mol for equilibrium exchange and zero-trans influx, respectively.