As AGAMOUS (AG) homologs are involved in determining the identity of sex organs, we have isolated an AG honolog from sex organs of cucumber by using RT-PCR. This gene was designated as CMBI. Southern analysis indicated that CMBI was present as a single-copy sequence in me genome of cucumber. Northern bybridizatiou demonstrated that CMBI mRNA accumulated in the stamens and pistils at anthesis of both male and female nowers, and mRNA levels in the stamens was much higher than that in the pistils. CMBI mRNA was not detected in the floral organ suck as petals, nor in vegetative organs which include stems and leaves. Furthermore, no signal was detect6d in the young aborted pistiles, suggesting that the activity of CMBI may be required for the normal pistils development in the male flowers.
