Atrial natriuretic peptides exert actions on many key organs involved in blood pressure and water and electrolyte balance. Many of these actions result in a physiological antagonism of angiotensin. To investigate the morphological basis of this interaction, we have mapped the distribution of receptors for atrial natriuretic peptide and angiotensin II in a number of target organs, using 125I-labelled rat atrial natriuretic peptide (99-126) and 125I-labelled [Sar1,Ile8]angiotensin II. In the kidney both atrial natriuretic peptide and angiotensin II receptors were observed overlying glomeruli, vasa recta bundles (high densities), and the outer cortex (moderate density). In the other tissues studied, atrial natriuretic peptide and angiotensin II receptors were codistributed in the adrenal zona glomerulosa, cerebral circumventricular organs including the subfornical organ, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis and area postrema, and the external plexiform layer of the olfactory bulb. The concurrent distribution of specific receptors for both peptides at these sites provides the basis for atrial natriuretic peptide to exert a functional antagonism of the actions of angiotensin II on blood pressure and water and electrolyte homeostasis at multiple sites.