We explored the structural changes that occur at the acetylcholine binding site of the Torpedo marmorata nicotinic receptor during activation by the tritiated photoactivatable agonist (diazocyclo-hexadienoylpropyl)trimethylommonium ([H-3]DCTA). We quantified the incorporation, of radioactivity into the receptor subunits as a function of the mixing time of [H-3]DCTA with the receptor by using a rapid-mixing,device adopted with a photochemical quenching system. A saturable increase of the specific photolobeling on the a and gamma subunits was observed with a half-time of about 2 minutes. We further analyzed this photoincorporation either after rapid mixing for 500 ms or after equilibration for 50 minutes. Under these conditions, [H-3]DCTA explored transient state(s) and the stable desensitized state, respectively. Comparative analyses showed that at a probe concentration of 10mum the relative variation of photoincorporation was more pronounced for the gamma subunit (three-to fourfold) than for the a subunit (about twofold). By contrast the relative distribution of radioactivity among a-subunit labeled residues (alpha7yr190, alphaCys192, alphaCysC793, and alphaTyr198) did not change. Altogether, these results reveal that during the course of agonist-induced receptor desensitization, the site-fining peptide loops, which belong to adjacent alpha and gamma subunits, move closer to each other.