The multidrug resistance proteins MRP2 (ABCC2) and MRP3 (ABCC3) are key primary active transporters involved in anionic conjugate and drug extrusion from the human liver. The major physiological role of MRP2 is to transport conjugated metabolites into the bile canaliculus, whereas MRP3 is localized in the basolateral membrane of the hepatocytes and transports similar metabolites back to the bloodstream. Both proteins were shown to interact with a large variety of transported substrates, and earlier studies suggested that MRPs may work as co-transporters for different molecules. In the present study we expressed the human MRP2 and MRP3 proteins in insect cells and examined their transport and ATPase characteristics in isolated, inside-out membrane vesicles. We found that the primary active transport of estradiol-17--D-glucuronide (E 2 17G), a major product of human steroid metabolism, was differently modulated by bile acids and organic anions in the case of human MRP2 and MRP3. Active E 2 17G transport by MRP2 was significantly stimulated by the organic anions indomethacin, furosemide, and probenecid and by several conjugated bile acids. In contrast, all of these agents inhibited E 2 17G transport by MRP3. We found that in the case of MRP2, ATP-dependent vesicular bile acid transport was increased by E 2 17G, and the results indicated an allosteric cross-stimulation, probably a cotransport of bile acids and glucuronate conjugates through this protein. There was no such stimulation of bile acid transport by MRP3. In conclusion, the different transport modulation of MRPs by bile acids and anionic drugs could play a major role in regulating physiological and pathological metabolite fluxes in the human liver.The homologous multidrug resistance ABC 1 transporter proteins MRP2 and MRP3 seem to be key players in the transport of organic anionic conjugated compounds in the liver and kidney (1-7). Unlike the selective "classical" transport proteins, multidrug transporters recognize and handle a wide range of substrates. The members of the MRP family are transporting hydrophobic anionic conjugates but may also extrude hydrophobic uncharged drugs. In this latter case drug transport by MRPs has been shown to be linked to the co-transport or allosteric effect of cellular reduced glutathione, GSH (2, 3, 6 -12).MRP2 in polarized cells is localized in the apical (luminal) membrane surface, predominantly in the canalicular membrane of hepatocytes but also in the apical membranes of kidney-proximal tubules (1-3, 6, 13). In contrast, MRP3 expression in polarized cells is restricted to the basolateral membrane (4). The lack of functional MRP2 causes the human disease Dubin-Johnson syndrome, which is associated with a large increase of conjugated bilirubin and other conjugated metabolites in the bloodstream. Several animal models are available for modeling this disease condition (14, 15), and there are known mutations/polymorphisms, reducing human MRP2 activity and leading to disorders of conjugate metabolism (16 -18).Liver cell...