Two different phytochrome genes were isolated from a soybean(Glycine max L.) genomic library by plaque hybridization with a cDNA clone(pFMD1) of Curcubita phytochrome. The genomic structure analysis indicates that both genes, pB44 and pB310, are composed of four exons and three introns. The deduced amino acid sequence analysis for the coding regions suggest that pB44 and pB310 are categolozed as phyA and phyB, respectively. The pB44 is 62-63 % identical with monocot phyA and 73-80 % identical with dicot phyA. it is only 51-52 % identical with phyB and phyC. The pB310 is 72-73 % identical with phyB but 50-55 % identical with phyB and phyC. The identity between pB44 and pB310 is 51 %. The expression of soybean phytochrome as probed by two clones indicates that soybean phyA is also down-regulated by light while phyB is relatively insensitive to light illumination as other species studied thus far.