A kinetic analysis of the active site of pig kidney trehalase was made by examining two types of inhibitors that are monosaccharide analogs and cause a Competitive inhibition of the trehalase. Trehalase hydrolyzes trehalose (a-D-glyCopyranoSyl a-D-glucopyranoside) to give an equimolar mixture of a-Dglucose and, by inversion of configuration, P-D-glUCOse. 1,4-Dideoxy-l,4-imino-D-arabinito1 is considered to be a transition state (glucosyl cation) analog, while methyl P-D-glucoside, 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-iminO-Dglucitol (1 -deoxynojirimycin), fagomine, and 1-epivalidamine are considered to be analogs of the p-Dglucose that is derived by hydrolysis of trehalose. These glucosyl cation inhibitor and P-D-glucose analog inhibitors competed with each other at the same site on the active center of pig kidney trehalase and were therefore put together in one group (group A). Methyl a-D-mannoside and 1-deoxymannojirimycin were also competitive inhibitors of trehalase and competed with each other for the same site. However, an inhibitor i n group A did not compete with the methyl a-D-mannoside or 1,5-dideoxy-l ,.%imino-D-mannito1 (I -deoxymannojirimycin). Thus these latter two inhibitors were placed in group B. These results support the hypothesis that the active center of trehalase may comprise two subsites, one for catalysis and one for recognition, that act separately on each of the glucoses of the trehalose. The catalysis site requires the correct D-glucose configuration at carbons 2, 3, 4, and 5 or a good superimposition onto the glucosyl cation intermediate. The C2 equatorial OH group of a glucopyranosyl residue appears to be important for binding at the catalytic site since I-deoxynojiriniycin is more tightly bound by two orders of magnitude over its 2-deoxy derivative, fagomine. The P-D-glUCOSe and glucosyl cation analogs best fit