To study the spatial and temporal regulation of oleosin gene expression during olive drupe development, a cDNA (OeOLE) was isolated from embryos. The deduced amino acid sequence of 165 amino acid residues exhibits a long central hydrophobic stretch, including the conserved "proline knot" motif. Phylogenetic analysis grouped OeOLE into the class of high (H) molecular weight oleosins. Southern blotting indicated that the gene is represented by 1-2 copies in the olive genome. Transcript analysis revealed that OeOLE is expressed solely in seeds. A similar bell-shaped pattern of expression was observed in both embryos and endosperms. Transcript accumulation starts at late heart embryo stage, reaches maximum levels at mid-torpedo stage and thereafter declines, coinciding the stages of most oil accumulation in those tissues.