We found a leucine aminopeptidase (LAP; EC ) to be abundant in meiotic prophase tissue of a basidiomycete, Coprinus cinereus. After direct puri®cation of the amino-peptidase component from meiocytes, we cloned the gene by degenerate PCR using partial amino-acid sequences of the puri®ed enzyme and 5¢ and 3¢ RACE. It was homologous to the eukaryotic leucine aminopeptidase gene.