Skeletal muscles in developing chick embryos were tested for responsiveness to adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), a substance known to depolarize chick skeletal muscle in culture. The sensitivity to extracellular ATP was tested at various stages of development in five different muscles; pectoralis superficia, anterior latissimus dorsi, posterior latissimus dorsi, sartorious, and gastrocnemius. At the earliest time that muscles were tested (Embryonic Day 6, stage 30 of Hamburger and Hamilton, 1951) application of ATP(50-100 microM) elicited vigorous contractions in all five muscles, but within a few days (Embryonic Day 17, stage 43) none of the muscles contracted in response to ATP. Sensitivity declined at approximately the same time in all five of these muscles. Intracellular recordings made from muscle fibers near the time of hatching (Embryonic Days 18-21 or Postnatal Days 1-2) indicated that the loss of the ability to contract in response to ATP was due to the total loss of responsiveness to ATP. Surgical denervation of the anterior latissimus dorsi and posterior latissimus dorsi was performed in a series of chicks 1-2 days after hatching, and the ability of these muscles to contract in response to ATP was tested 3-10 days after the surgery. Contractions in response to ATP were present in many of the muscles. Thus denervation of muscles in newly hatched chicks led to the reappearance of sensitivity to ATP. The disappearance of ATP responsiveness shortly after muscles become innervated and the reappearance of ATP responsiveness following denervation suggest that the expression of ATP responsiveness is regulated by motor neurons.