cDNA clones encoding cysteine proteinases from cotyledons of germinated seeds of Vicia sativa L. have been obtained by means of PCR. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers were designed according to conserved amino acid regions of known cysteine proteinases. The deduced amino acid sequences of the cDNA clones encoding VSCYSPR1 and VSCYSPR2 display strong homology to cysteine proteinases of the so called papain superfamily. Northern analyses revealed developmentally regulated expression of both the mRNAs in germinating seeds. The transcripts were shown to be products of two distinct single genes, each exhibiting structural polymorphisms as exposed in few nucleotide substitutions.