1. We have studied the regulation of whole-cell chloride current in T84 colonic epithelial cells by inositol 3,4,5,6-tetrakisphosphate (Ins(3,4,5,6)P4). New information was obtained using (a) microcystin and okadaic acid to inhibit serine/threonine protein phosphatases, and (b) a novel functional tetrakisphosphate analogue, 1, 2-bisdeoxy-1,2-bisfluoro-Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 (i.e. F2-Ins(3,4,5,6)P4). 2. Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) increased chloride current 20-fold. This current (ICl,CaMK) continued for 7 +/- 1.2 min before its deactivation, or running down, by approximately 60 %. This run-down was prevented by okadaic acid, whereupon ICl,CaMK remained near its maximum value for >= 14.3 +/- 0.6 min. 3. F2-Ins(3, 4,5,6)P4 inhibited ICl,CaMK (IC50 = 100 microM) stereo-specifically, since its enantiomer, F2-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 had no effect at >= 500 microM. Dose-response data (Hill coefficient = 1.3) showed that F2-Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 imitated only the non-co-operative phase of inhibition by Ins(3,4,5,6)P4, and not the co-operative phase. 4. Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 was prevented from blocking ICl,CaMK by okadaic acid (IC50 = 1.5 nM) and microcystin (IC50 = 0.15 nM); these data lead to the novel conclusion that, in situ, protein phosphatase activity is essential for Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 to function. The IC50 values indicate that more than one species of phosphatase was required. One of these may be PP1, since F2-Ins(3,4,5,6)P4-dependent current blocking was inhibited by okadaic acid and microcystin with IC50 values of 70 nM and 0.15 nM, respectively.