Similar to other plant species,  Arabidopsis thaliana synthesizes multiple low  molecular weight  (lmw) heat shock proteins (hsps) in response to high temperature stress. We have characterized a cDNA encoding one of these hsps. A cDNA library was prepared using mRNA isolated from leaves of A. thaliana which had been heat stressed for 90 min at 37°C. The library as screened at  reduced stringency  with a cDNA encoding a lmw hsp from Pisum sativum (1). A cDNA clone, Athspl7.6, was identified which encoded  157 amino acid, 17.6  kDa protein. Athspl7.6 cDNA hybridized to a transcript whose synthesis is heat inducible in A. thaliana plants. The amino acid sequence of Athspl7.6 is 73% identical to a soybean hsp encoded  by Gmhspl7.5-E (2), as aligned below. Dashes  show amino acid identities, asterisks indicate a gap. This is the second dicot plant  for which  a lmw hsp cDNA sequence has been reported.