The high-affinity transport system for glycine in plasma membrane vesicles from C6 glioma cells is dependent on Na+ and also on the presence of Cl- in the incubation medium. This anion requirement is relatively specific for Cl-, since other anions are also capable of stimulating the glycine transport in the following order of decreasing efficacy: Cl- greater than Br- greater than SCN- congruent to I- greater than NO3- greater than F-. Chloride ions raise the Vmax for transport and, to a lesser extent, act on the Km. The data provided by direct measurements of the coupling of sodium and chloride to the transport of glycine by using a kinetic approach suggest a stoichiometry for the translocation cycle catalyzed by the glycine transporter of two sodium ions and one chloride ion per glycine zwitterion.