Previous studies have reported that malignant hyperthermia susceptibility is caused in some families by inherited variation in a gene located on the short arm of chromosome 19 near to, or identical with, the ryanodine receptor gene (RYR1); this is expressed in skeletal muscle as a calcium release channel of the sarcoplasm reticulum. In other families, a gene in this location is excluded, but the locations of the genes involved have not yet been defined. We have analysed DNA samples from members of three large British families in whom in vitro muscle contracture tests for malignant hyperthermia susceptibility have been carried out in accordance with the procedure recommended by the European Malignant Hyperthermia Group. The results presented here strongly suggest that the gene for malignant hyperthermia susceptibility in one or more of these three British families is located in the same region of chromosome 19q, although further work is required to decide whether or not the RYR1 gene itself is causative in these families. As genetic heterogeneity could not be excluded, we cannot yet recommend the use of DNA markers to replace in vitro contracture tests in the diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.