Abstract: The pds cDNA sequence was cloned from strawberry fruit using RT-PCR and RACE techniques. The cDNA sequence consists of 2 043 bp with an intact open reading frame of 1 704 bp，encoding a polypeptide of 568 amino acids. Homology analysis showed that the deduced PDS protein was highly homologous to other PDS proteins from different species. Phylogenetic analysis also indicated that PDS was close to PDS of apricot. Prokaryotic expression showed Recombinant pds was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that pds can be expressed in different strawberry tissues，and the expression level was differed in these tissues，the highest expression level was detected in fruits at the red ripening stage，while moderate expression levels were found in fruits at the pink ripening stage，white fruits，flowers and green fruits，the lowest level was present in leaves.

Key words: strawberry, phytoene desaturase, carotenoids, gene cloning