To further elucidate the mechanism of cadmium inhibition of renal amino acid transport, brush border membrane vesicles were isolated from rabbit renal cortex and the effect of cadmium on the uptake of L-glutamate into the vesicles was investigated. Preincubation of the membranes with CdCl2 decreased sodium-dependent L-glutamate uptake at concentrations higher than 10(-6)M. In the presence of 20 mM potassium inside the vesicles a half-maximal inhibition was observed at 0.5 to 1 x 10(-4) M. Kinetic analysis revealed a strong reduction of Vmax by cadmium but only minor changes in Km for glutamate. The inhibition required preincubation of the vesicles with cadmium, was not elicited by cadmium metallothionein, and was not reversed by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. These findings suggest an action of cadmium at the cytoplasmic face of the brush border membrane. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the transport system for cadmium was lower in the absence of potassium. Inhibition increased in a saturable manner when intravesicular potassium was augmented, indicating that the transporter interacts with cadmium most avidly when potassium is bound to the carrier.