The ATPase activity for the (Ca2(+)-Mg2+)-ATPase purified from rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum is lower when reconstituted into bilayers of dimyristoleoylphosphatidylcholine [(C14:1)PC] than when it is reconstituted into dioleoylphosphatidylcholine [(C18:1)PC]. The rate of formation of phosphoenzyme on addition of ATP is slower for (C14:1)PC-ATPase than for the native ATPase or (C18:1)PC-ATPase. The reduction in rate of phosphoenzyme formation is attributed to a reduction in the rate of a conformational change on the ATPase following binding of ATP but before phosphorylation. The level of phosphoenzyme formed from Pi is also less for (C14:1)PC-ATPase than for (C18:1)PC-ATPase. At steady state at pH 6.0 in the presence of ATP Ca2+ is released from (C18:1)PC-ATPase into the medium, but not from (C14:1)PC-ATPase. These effects of (C14:1)PC on the ATPase are reversed by addition of androstenol to a 1:1 molar ratio with (C14:1)PC. The results are interpreted in terms of a kinetic model for the ATPase.