The S-phase cell distribution has been analysed to evaluate the behaviour of proliferative cells in the intestinal epithelium after irradiation at different times of the day. A marked reduction of S cell frequency was observed at early intervals after abdominal irradiation; this reduction was particularly evident in the lower half of the crypts. At subsequent intervals a progressive extension of the proliferative compartment, with labelled cells also at the top of the crypt, was present. The irradiated groups generally showed a homogeneous behaviour even if a more marked reduction in S-phase cells was observed in group C. The invertase activity, a brush border enzyme synthetized during the differentiation process, presented a different behaviour at the early intervals in the irradiated groups. When the extension of the proliferative compartment occurred the invertase activity reached values close to zero. The modifications in brush border enzymes and in S-phase cell distribution, at early killing times, led to the hypothesis of an early differentiation.