The chloroplast genome contains genes for a large and probably complete set of tRNAs. These genes are unique in sharing attributes of both nuclear and bacterial tRNA genes. Two chloroplast tRNA genes from Zea mays are described here. tV-UAC, encoding a valine tRNA with the anticodon UAC, contains a 603 bp intron and is highly homologous, both in coding regions and in the intron, to the analogous gene from tobacco described by Deno et al. (Nucleic Acids Res 10:7511-7520, 1982). It is located near the gene for the beta and epsilon subunits of the CF1 complex. (Krebbers et al.: Nucleic Acids Res 10:4985-5002, 1982). The gene tS-UGA, encoding a serine tRNA with the anticodon UGA, is located 41 kbp 3' to tV-UAC. Both genes contain promoter-like sequences in their 5' flanking regions.