The current studies were undertaken to establish an in vitro cellular model to study the transport of SO and Cl(-) and hormonal regulation and to define the possible function of the downregulated in adenoma (DRA) gene. Utilizing a postconfluent Caco-2 cell line, we studied the OH(-) gradient-driven (35)SO and (36)Cl(-) uptake. Our findings consistent with the presence of an apical carrier-mediated (35)SO/OH(-) exchange process in Caco-2 cells include: 1) demonstration of saturation kinetics [Michaelis-Menten constant (K(m)) of 0.2 +/- 0.08 mM for SO and maximum velocity of 1.1 +/- 0.2 pmol x mg protein(-1) x 2 min(-1)]; 2) sensitivity to inhibition by DIDS (K(i) = 0.9 +/- 0.3 microM); and 3) competitive inhibition by oxalate and Cl(-) but not by nitrate and short chain fatty acids, with a higher K(i) (5.95 +/- 1 mM) for Cl(-) compared with oxalate (K(i) = 0.2 +/- 0.03 mM). Our results also suggested that the SO/OH(-) and Cl(-)/OH(-) exchange processes in Caco-2 cells are distinct based on the following: 1) the SO/OH(-) exchange was highly sensitive to inhibition by DIDS compared with Cl(-)/OH(-) exchange activity (K(i) for DIDS of 0.3 +/- 0.1 mM); 2) Cl(-) competitively inhibited the SO/OH(-) exchange activity with a high K(i) compared with the K(m) for SO, indicating a lower affinity for Cl(-); 3) DIDS competitively inhibited the Cl(-)/OH(-) exchange process, whereas it inhibited the SO/OH(-) exchange activity in a mixed-type manner; and 4) utilizing the RNase protection assay, our results showed that 24-h incubation with 100 nM of thyroxine significantly decreased the relative abundance of DRA mRNA along with the SO/OH(-) exchange activity but without any change in Cl(-)/OH(-) exchange process. In summary, these studies demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing Caco-2 cell line as a model to study the apical SO/OH(-) and Cl(-)/OH(-) exchange processes in the human intestine and indicated that the two transporters are distinct and that DRA may be predominantly a SO transporter with a capacity to transport Cl(-) as well.