Upon addition of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the line width of tetrameric vanadate signal of 51V-NMR spectra narrowed in the presence of ATP and Ca2+, whereas monomeric vanadate line widths were broadened. Thus, ATP decreases the affinity of the enzyme for tetravanadate whereas it induces the interaction with monomeric vanadate. In the presence of Ca2+ it was observed that tetrameric and decameric vanadate bind to SR ATPase whereas monomeric vanadate only binds to SR when ATP is present. However, decameric vanadate clearly differs from vanadate oligomers present in monovanadate solutions in preventing the accumulation of Ca2+ by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles coupled to ATP hydrolysis. Mg2+ increased the inhibitory effect promoted by decavanadate whereas a slight enhancement of Ca2+ uptake was observed in the presence of monovanadate. For 5 mM Mg2+, a nominal 2 mM vanadium 'decavanadate' solution containing about 190 to 200 microM decameric and less than 100 microM monomeric species depressed the rate of Ca2+ uptake by 50% whereas a nominal 2 mM monovanadate solution containing about 662 microM monomeric, 143 microM dimeric and 252 microM tetrameric species had no effect on the rate of Ca2+ accumulation. However, 2 mM 'decavanadate' inhibits by 75% the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase activity whereas the presence of 2 mM 'monovanadate' produces an inhibitory effect below 50%. Therefore, the Ca:ATP stoichiometry of Ca2+ transport is enhanced by monovanadate. In the presence of oxalate, inhibition of SR Ca(2+)-ATPase activity by these solutions is enhanced to 97% and 86% whereas in the presence of the ionophore lasalocid, the inhibitory values were 87% and 19% for 2 mM decavanadate and 2 mM monovanadate solutions, respectively. Apparently, the increase of vesicular Ca2+ concentration counteracts monovanadate inhibition of SR Ca(2+)-ATPase activity but it does not significantly affect decavanadate inhibition.