The blocked N-terminus and N-terminal sequence of soybean B-amylase were aetermined by analyzing the acidic peptides derived on peptic digestion of the enzyme. The acidic peptides were separated from the digest on a Dowex 50$ imes$2 column(1X5cm) and purified by reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography(RP-HPLC). The major acidic peptide, PEP-1, was a heptapeptlde. The N-terminal 7 amino acid sequence of soybean B-amylase was deduced to be acetyl-Ala-Thf-Ser-Asp-Ser-Asn-Met- from the results of sequence analysis of PEP-1 and amino acid analysis of other acidic peptides.