In freshly dispersed guinea pig taenia coli myocytes the activity of the large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel (maxi-K+ channel) predominates. The open probability (Po) of this channel is increased by micromolar concentrations of the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (ISO). Low concentrations of cholera toxin (CTX, 1 pM) and guanosine 5'- O-2-thiodiphosphate (GDP beta S, 0.5 mM) suppress the ISO-induced increase of Po. Higher concentrations of CTX (e.g., 0.5 nM) as well as forskolin and dibutyryl cAMP increase the Po. 1,9-Dideoxyforskolin, the forskolin analogue, which lacks the adenylate cyclase-stimulating effect, does not. A specific protein kinase A inhibitor (Wiptide), applied intracellularly via diffusion from the patch electrode, suppresses the ISO-induced increase of whole-cell outward K+ current during step depolarization. In contrast, intracellularly applied protein kinase C (19-36), a specific protein kinase C inhibitor, has no effect on the whole-cell current. TMB-8, an inhibitor of intracellular calcium mobilization, does not affect either the whole-cell outward K+ current during step depolarization or the Po. These observations show that ISO increases the Po of the maxi-K+ channels in the guinea pig taenia coli myocytes through the G protein-adenylate cyclase-protein kinase A system.