The enzyme invertase contributes to sugar unloading, pathogen defense, differentiation and development in plants. We cloned the complete cDNA of a soluble acid invertase from pea seedlings (Pisum sativum) via RT-PCR and the rapid amplification of the cDNA end (RACE) technique. The full-length cDNA of the soluble pea invertase comprised 2237 bp and contained a complete open reading frame encoding 647 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high homology to soluble acid invertases from various plants. Northern blot analysis demonstrated the soluble acid invertase gene of P. sativum was strongly expressed in sink organs such as shoot tips and root tips, and induced by abscisic acid, gibberellic acid and jasmonic acid in shoots. Especially, gibberellic acid enhanced the gene expression of the soluble acid invertase in a time-dependent manner. This study presents that the gene expression patterns of a soluble acid invertase from pea are strongly consistent with the suggestion that individual invertase gene product has different functions in the growing plant.