Three different types ofmuscle fibres have been characterized electrophysiologically in frog skeletal muscle: the singly innervated fast twitch muscle fibres and the multiply innervated slow tonic fibres present in muscles like the iliofibularis (Kuffler & Vaughan Williams, 1953) and the multiply innervated twitch muscle fibres of the submaxillaris muscle (Miledi & Uchitel, 1981). We have previously reported (Miledi & Uchitel, 1981) that the mean life-times of synaptic ACh-induced channels in fast, submaxillaris and slow muscle fibres were about 5, 7 and 15 msec respectively and that their single channel conductances were about 16, 14 and 8 pS respectively, when recorded at -90 mV membrane potential and at 6 'C.We have now studied the extrajunctional ACh-induced channels of denervated fast and slow muscle, fibres from the iliofibularis and pyriformis muscles, and ofdenervated muscle fibres of the submaxillaris muscle of the frog. Denervation was performed under ether anaesthesia. The properties of the ACh-induced channels were estimated from the power spectra ofthe current fluctuations induced by ionophoretic application of ACh to a voltage-clamped area of extrajunctional membrane. The muscles were incubated in normal Ringer at 6 'C. The mean life-times of the extrajunctional ACh-induced channels were 15-43 + 0 79 msec (n = 11), 16-64 + 0-78 msec (n = 10) and 15-20 + 0-55 msec (n = 18) in the fast, submaxillaris and slow muscle; and their single channel conductances were 12-12+0-53 pS (n = 9) 11-01 +0-79 pS (n = 10) and 11-73+0-73 pS (n = 12) respectively (membrane potential: -90 mV; values are mean + S E. n = number of muscle fibres).We conclude that, while the different types of muscle fibres have functional channels which differ in their properties, the extrajunctional channels induced by ACh all have similar characteristics. These findings support the hypothesis of a neural control of synaptic channel properties.We are grateful to the Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain for their financial support.