We have constructed cDNA clones from size-selected mRNA of developing soybean seeds to identify genes encoding the Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor. Recombinant clones containing sequences coding for the Bowman-Birk inhibitor were identified by mRNA hybrid selected translation and immunoprecipitation. The nucleotide sequence of the insert of plasmid pB38 corresponds to the mRNA for the Bowman-Birk inhibitor, although it is missing a portion of the coding sequence at the 5' end. Northern hybridization analysis of total RNA isolated from developing soybean seeds showed that the mRNA for the inhibitor is approximately 450 nucleotides long and that it accumulates early in embryogeny. Southern hybridization analysis of restriction enzyme-digested soybean nuclear DNA indicated that the gene encoding the Bowman-Birk inhibitor is not highly reiterated in the genome. We have isolated a gene encoding the Bowman-Birk inhibitor from a soybean genomic library constructed in Charon 4A. DNA sequence analysis of the genomic clone reveals that it is similar, although not identical, to the cDNA clone and that it contains no intervening sequences.