The phosphate translocator protein of C3 and C4 mesophyll chloroplast envelopes was specifically labeled using the anion exchange inhibitor, 1,2-dititio1,2-(2,2'sdisuufo4,4'-diisothiocyano) diphenylethane (pH]2-DIDS). The regulation of metabolite traffic across the chloroplast envelope through carrier mediated transport is a common feature of both the C4 and C3 pathways of photosynthesis and there is some evidence for differences in transport between chloroplast types (6,14). Our limited understanding of chloroplast metabolite transport has been summarized recently by Heldt and Flugge (16) and Flugge and Heldt (11).The phosphate translocator of spinach (C3) chloroplasts, which catalyzes the one-to-one exchange of triose-P,2 Pi, and 3-PGA, (10) have also obtained 70 to 80% pure 29-kD protein, incorporated this fraction into liposomes, and measured transport activity. However, further purification resulted in a total loss of activity. While it is generally accepted that the 29-kD polypeptide is the phosphate translocator in spinach chloroplasts, the protein has not been purified to homogeneity and reconstitution has not been achieved with the purified, active protein.With respect to organic phosphate transport in C4 mesophyll chloroplasts, studies using the silicone oil technique have shown that triose-P, 3-PGA, and Pi are all exchanged (5) and, in contrast to C3 chloroplasts, PEP is also rapidly transported across the C4 mesophyll chloroplast envelope (5,18,33). The majority of evidence suggests that PEP, 3-PGA, triose-P, and Pi all compete for the same substrate binding site on a common phosphate translocator in C4 mesophyll chloroplasts (5,28,29). It is probable that recognition of PEP by C4 chloroplasts evolved from a modification of the substrate binding site of the C3 phosphate translocator. However, since it has been demonstrated with isolated C4 mesophyll chloroplasts that PEP can also exchange directly with Pi (18) and ADP or ATP (33), a more direct method to identify the transport protein is needed.The definitive identification and isolation of transport proteins in chloroplasts of either C3 or C4 plants has been hampered, at least in part, by the lack of a suitable marker, or inhibitor of the protein (11). We recently reported, however, on a very potent inhibitor, DIDS, which will specifically, irreversibly, and totally inhibit 3-PGA dependent oxygen evolution at micromolar concentrations in both C3 and C4 mesophyll chloroplasts (29). Of particular importance was the observation that preincubation with PEP protected against DIDS inhibition in the C4 mesophyll chloroplasts, but not in the C3 chloroplasts. In the experiments reported in this paper we isolated C3 and C4 mesophyll chloroplasts, incubated them with [3H]2-DIDS, and compared the labeling pattern of solubilized envelopes with that of pea chloroplasts incubated with pyridoxal-P/NaB3H4.