We tested whether the muscle innervated may influence the expression of motoneuron electrical properties. Properties of individual motor units were examined following cross-reinnervation (X-reinnervation) of cat lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and soleus muscles by the medial gastrocnemius (MG) nerve. We examined animals at two postoperative times: 9-10 wk (medX) and 9-11 mo (longX). For comparison, normal LG and soleus motoneuron properties were also studied. Motor units were classified on the basis of their contractile responses as fast contracting fatigable, fast intermediate fast contracting fatigue resistant, and slow types FF, FI, FR, or S, respectively) (9, 21). Motoneuron electrical properties (rheobase, input resistance, axonal conduction velocity, afterhyperpolarization) were measured. After 9-11 mo, MG motoneurons that innervated LG muscle showed recovery of electrical properties similar to self-regenerated MG motoneurons. The relationships between motoneuron electrical properties were largely similar to self-regenerated MG. For MG motoneurons that innervated LG, motoneuron type (65) predicted motor-unit type in 74% of cases. LongX-soleus motoneurons differed from longX-LG motoneurons or self-regenerated MG motoneurons in mean values for motoneuron electrical properties. The differences in overall means reflected the predominance of type S motor units. The relationships between motoneuron electrical properties were also different than in self-regenerated MG motoneurons. In all cases, the alterations were in the direction of properties of type S units, and the relationship between normal soleus motoneurons and their muscle units. Within motor-unit types, the mean values were typical for that type in self-regenerated MG. Motoneuron type (65) was a fairly strong predictor of motor-unit type in longX soleus. MG motoneurons that innervated soleus displayed altered values for axonal conduction velocity, rheobase, and input resistance, which could indicate incomplete recovery from the axotomized state. However, although mean afterhyperpolarization (AHP) half-decay time was unaltered by axotomy (25), this parameter was significantly lengthened in MG motoneurons that innervated soleus muscle. There were, however, individual motoneuron-muscle-unit mismatches, which suggested that longer mean AHP half-decay time may also be due to incomplete recovery of a subpopulation of motoneurons. Those MG motoneurons able to specify soleus muscle-fiber type exhibited motoneuron electrical properties typical of that same motoneuron type in self-regenerated MG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)