1 The effects on the whole-cell carbachol-induced muscarinic cationic current (mIcat) of antibodies against the a-subunits of various G proteins, as well as the effect of a Gbg subunit, were studied in single guinea-pig ileal smooth muscle cells voltage-clamped at À50 mV. Ionized intracellular calcium concentration, [Ca 2+ ] i , was clamped at 100 nM using a 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxyl-ethane-N,N,N 0 ,N 0 -tetraacetic acid)/Ca 2+ mixture. 2 Application of ascending concentrations of carbachol (1 -300 mM) activated mIcat (mean amplitude 0.83 nA at 300 mM carbachol; EC 50 8 mM; Hill slope 1.0). A 20 min or longer intracellular application via the pipette solution of G i3 /G o or G o antibodies resulted in about a 70% depression of the maximum response without change in the EC 50 value. In contrast, antibodies against a-subunits of G i1 , G i1 /G i2 , G i3 , G q /G 11 or G s protein over a similar or longer period did not significantly reduce mIcat. Antibodies to common Gb or infusion of the Gbg subunit itself had no effect on mIcat.3 If cells were exposed briefly to carbachol (50 or 100 mM) at early times (o3 min) after infusion of antibodies to Ga i3 /Ga o or to Ga o had begun, carbachol responses remained unchanged even after 20 -60 min; that is, the depression of mIcat by these antibodies was prevented. 4 These data show that Ga o protein couples the muscarinic receptor to the cationic channel in guinea-pig ileal longitudinal smooth muscle and that Gbg is not involved. They also show that prior activation of the muscarinic receptor presumably causes a long-lasting postactivation change of the G protein, which is not reflected in mIcat, but acts to hinder antibody binding.