The complementary DNA (cDNA) coding forArabidopsis thalianacytidine deaminase 1 (AT-CDA1) was obtained from the amplifiedA. thalianacDNA expression library, provided by R. W. Davis (Stanford University, CA). AT-CDA1 cDNA was subcloned into the expression vector pTrc99-A and the protein, expressed inEscherichia colifollowing induction with isopropyl 1-thio-ß- -galactopyranoside, showed high cytidine deaminase activity. The nucleotide sequence showed a 903-bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 301 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 32,582. The deduced amino acid sequence of AT-CDA1 showed no transit peptide for targeting to the chloroplast or mitochondria indicating that this form of cytidine deaminase is probably expressed in the cytosol. The recombinant AT-CDA1 was purified to homogeneity by a heat treatment followed by an ion-exchange chromatography. The final enzyme preparation was >98% pure as judged by SDS-PAGE and showed a specific activity of 74 U/mg. The molecular mass of AT-CDA1 estimated by gel filtration was 63 kDa, indicating, in contrast to the other eukaryotic CDAs, that the enzyme is a dimer composed of two identical subunits. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy analysis indicated that the enzyme contains 1 mol of zinc atom per mole of subunit. The kinetic properties of AT-CDA1 both toward the natural substrates and with analogs indicated that the catalytic mechanism of the plant enzyme is probably very similar to that of the human theE. colienzymes.