A subclone of the three prime (3') end of a human extrapancreatic phospholipase cDNA has been generated using the polymerase chain reaction. This has been used to detect mRNA transcripts in RNA extracted from human amnion, chorion-decidua, placenta and myometrium. The carboxyl-terminus of phospholipases A2 is poorly conserved but hybridisation remained stable under conditions of high stringency. This supports the hypothesis that these tissues express a common cellular phospholipase A2 which is identical to that expressed in platelets.