Myo-inositol-1-phosphate (I[1]P) synthase (EC 5.5.1.4) catalyzes the reaction from glucose 6-phosphate to I(1)P, the first step of myo-inositol biosynthesis. Among the metabolites of I(1)P is inositol hexakisphosphate, which forms a mixed salt called phytin or phytate, a storage form of phosphate and cations in seeds. We have isolated a rice (Oryza sativa L.) cDNA clone, pRINO1, that is highly homologous to the I(1)P synthase from yeast and plants. Northern analysis of total RNA showed that the transcript accumulated to high levels in embryos but was undetectable in shoots, roots, and flowers. In situ hybridization of developing seeds showed that the transcript first appeared in the apical region of globular-stage embryos 2 d after anthesis (DAA). Strong signals were detected in the scutellum and aleurone layer after 4 DAA. The level of the transcript in these cells increased until 7 DAA, after which time it gradually decreased. Phytin-containing particles called globoids appeared 4 DAA in the scutellum and aleurone layer, coinciding with the localization of the RINO1 transcript. The temporal and spatial patterns of accumulation of the RINO1 transcript and globoids suggest that I(1)P synthase directs phytin biosynthesis in rice seeds.Myo-inositol and I(1)P are essential for the survival of eukaryotic cells, because various metabolic routes diverge from these two compounds. A number of possible roles for myo-inositol and I(1)P metabolites in plant development have been demonstrated (for review, see Bohnert et al., 1995). I(1)P is utilized for the synthesis of plasma membrane phosphoinositides, which are involved in signal transduction as sources of second messengers (Gross and Boss, 1993). Myo-inositol combined with Gal is incorporated into the raffinose family of the vegetative storage form of carbohydrates (Kandler and Hopf, 1982). Oxidized inositols serve as noncellulosic cell wall components (Loewus and Loewus, 1983), and methylated inositols were shown to be involved in osmoprotection in a halophytic plant (Ishitani et al., 1996). In addition, I(1)P is further phosphorylated to inositol hexakisphosphoric acid, or phytic acid, which strongly binds metallic cations such as K, Mg, Mn, Ca, Fe, and Zn via ionic associations with negatively charged phosphates (Maga, 1982;Lott et al., 1995) to form a mixed salt called phytin or phytate (Ashton, 1976). The synthesis of phytin as a storage form of phosphate and cations is a metabolic pathway unique to plants (Loewus and Dickinson, 1982).Phytin is mainly stored in protein bodies in seeds as spherical inclusions called globoids (Lott et al., 1995). Cereal grains and oil seeds are particularly rich sources of phytin, and the phosphorus of phytin represents 80% to 90% of total phosphorus in these seeds (Maga, 1982). In rice (Oryza sativa) seeds phytin accumulates in the aleurone and scutellum cells but not in the starchy endosperm cells (Tanaka et al., 1973;Ogawa et al., 1977). During germination phytin is digested by an acid phosphatase called phytase (Laboure et al....