In vertebrate skeletal muscle, the voltage-dependent mechanism of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release, commonly referred to as excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling, is mediated by the voltage-sensing dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR), which is believed to affect SR Ca2+ release through a physical interaction with the SR ryanodine receptor (RYR)/Ca2+ release channel. Scatchard analysis of ligand binding of [3H]PN200-110 to the DHPR and [3H]ryanodine to the RYR indicated the presence of high-affinity sites in muscle homogenates, with maximum binding (Bmax) values of 72 +/- 26 and 76 +/- 30 pmol/g wet wt for rabbit skeletal muscle, and 27 +/- 14 and 44 +/- 13 pmol/g wet wt for frog skeletal muscle, respectively. The Bmax values corresponded to a PN200-110-to-ryanodine binding ratio of 0.98 +/- 0.26 and 0.61 +/- 0.24 for rabbit and frog skeletal muscle, respectively, and were found by Student's t test to be significantly different (P < 0.02, n = 7). These results are compared with measurements with isolated rabbit skeletal muscle membrane fractions and discussed in relation to our current understanding of the mechanism of E-C coupling in skeletal muscle.