The amino acid sequences of the acidic and basic components of the A2B1a subunit of glycinin, the major seed reserve protein of the soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.), were determined. They contain 278 and 180 amino acids, respectively, and have molecular weights of 31,600 +/- 100 and 19,900 +/- 100. The molecular weight of the acidic component is considerably less than that estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis (37,000). Sequence heterogeneity was detected at several positions scattered throughout the primary structures of both components, indicating that the preparation sequenced was composed of several nearly identical polypeptides. These data, in conjunction with a recently determined nucleotide sequence of the 3'-terminal two-thirds of the analogous glycinin subunit gene, illustrate the complexity of the gene family responsible for synthesis of glycinin subunits.