Rat mammary gland arginase is a metallo-enzyme dependent on Mn2+, which can be only partially substituted by Cd2+. 2. Reconstitution of the activity of dialyzed arginase by manganese is a two-phase process; the second phase is independent of the cation concentration, with a half-time recovery (t1/2) of 10.77 min. 3. The apparent Km for Mn2+ is 280 microM and 10.5 microM for enzyme dialyzed for 24 and 72 hr, respectively. 4. Treatment with 5 mM EDTA at pH 6 totally inhibits enzyme activity, which is reconstituted by Mn2+. 5. Results obtained with iodoacetamide treatment suggest the existence of sulphydryl groups accessible only when the enzyme is dialyzed.