, and the corresponding domain in NBCe1 variants is highly homologous. We performed cysteine-scanning mutagenesis to examine the role of TMD8 residues in ion translocation by rat NBCe1-A. We accessed function and/or sulfhydryl sensitivity and p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate ( pCMBS) accessibility of 21 cysteinesubstituted NBC mutants expressed in Xenopus oocytes using the two-electrode, voltage clamp technique. Five NBC mutants displayed <10% wild-type activity: P743C, A744C, L746C, D754C, and T758C. For the remaining 16 mutants, we compared transporter-mediated inward currents elicited by removing external Na ؉ before and after exposing oocytes to either 2-aminoethylmethane thiosulfonate (MTSEA) or pCMBS. MTSEA inhibited NBC mutants T748C, I749C, I751C, F752C, M753C, and Q756C by 9 -19% and stimulated mutants A739C, A741C, L745C, V747C, Q755C, and I757C by 11-21%. pCMBS mildly inhibited mutants A739C, A740, V747C, and Q756C by 5 or 8%, and stimulated I749C by 10%. However, both sulfhydryl reagents strongly inhibited the L750C mutant by >85%. Using the substituted cysteine accessibility method, we examined the accessibility of the NBC mutant L750C under different transporter conditions. pCMBS accessibility is (i) reduced when the transporter is active in the presence of both Na ؉ and HCO 3 ؊ , likely due to substrate competition with pCMBS; (ii) reduced in the presence of a stilbene inhibitor; and (iii) stimulated at more positive membrane potentials. In summary, TMD8 residues of NBCe1, particularly L750, are involved in ion translocation, and accessibility is influenced by the state of transporter activity.Sodium/bicarbonate cotransporters (NBCs) 2 are proteins that cotransport HCO 3 Ϫ and/or CO 3 2Ϫ with Na ϩ across plasma membranes, thereby contributing to the regulation of intracellular pH (pH i ) and ion homeostasis in many tissues, including kidney, heart, and brain. Electrogenic NBCs, including NBCe1 and NBCe2, as well as electroneutral NBCs such as NBCn1 have been cloned, characterized, and localized in many tissues and cell types (1, 2). Splice variants exist for the different NBCs. For example, NBCe1 contains three splice variants that differ at their amino and/or carboxyl termini: NBCe1-A, -B, and -C. Based on sequence homology, NBCs in conjunction with anion exchangers (AEs) and sodium-driven chloride-bicarbonate exchangers are members of a superfamily of bicarbonate transporters.Over the last several years, considerable molecular advances have been made in understanding both the function and regulation of cloned NBCs, particularly NBCe1 variants. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes, all three NBCe1 variants have similar ion and voltage dependences, although the A variant is ϳ4-fold more active than the B and C variants due to its unique amino terminus (3). However, functional properties of the transporters (e.g. stoichiometry) appear to be cell-type-dependent (4). NBC activity was first characterized in the salamander proximal tubule (5), and the cDNA encoding the protein was later cloned by Romero e...