Clones harbouring cDNA sequences for the beta subunit precursor of the acetylcholine receptor from calf skeletal muscle have been isolated. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cloned cDNA has disclosed the primary structure of this polypeptide, which consists of 505 amino acids including a hydrophobic prepeptide of 24 amino acids. The beta subunit of the calf muscle acetylcholine receptor, like the alpha and gamma subunits of the same receptor and the alpha subunit of its human counterpart, exhibits structural features common to all four subunits of the Torpedo electroplax receptor, apparently being oriented across the membrane in the same manner as proposed for the fish receptor subunits. The degree of sequence homology between the calf and Torpedo beta subunits (59%) is comparable to that between the gamma subunits (56%), but is lower than that between the alpha subunits of the two species (81%). Some regions of the beta subunit molecule, including the region corresponding to the putative acetylcholine binding area on the alpha subunit and the region encompassing the clustered putative transmembrane segments M1, M2 and M3, are relatively well conserved between the two species.