The specificity of the inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate binding protein purified from porcine platelets [Cullen et al. (1995) Biochem. J. 305, 139-143] was examined using all the isomers of myo-inositol tetrakisphosphate. From the relative potencies of these compounds it appears that phosphorylation of the 1, 3 and 5 positions is essential for high affinity binding, that there is some tolerance of phosphorylation of the 6-hydroxyl, but none of a phosphate in the 2-position, and that phosphorylation of the 4-hydroxyl has very little influence. The binding of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 was not appreciably altered by physiological Mg2+ concentrations, and the pH dependence of binding under physiological conditions showed a decline from pH 5.5 to pH 9.0.