To identify the genes involved in nodule formation and to increase usable molecular probes, a cDNA library of Astragalus sinicus genes specifically expressed in infected roots by Mesorhizobium huakuii 7653R is generated using a PCR-based suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) technique with two mRNA populations of infected and uninfected control roots. Two nodule-specific genes, AsIIC259 and AsG2511, are identified from infected roots of A. sinicus. The amino acid sequences deduced from the open reading frames (ORFs) reveal that AsIIC259 and AsG2511 encodes a polypeptide with 134 and 58 amino acids, respectively. A signal peptide sequence is predicted with high probability at the N-termini of the AsIIC259 and AsG2511. The motif searches show that the deduced polypeptide of AsIIC259 contains two N-glycosylation sites, a cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation site and a casein kinase II phosphorylation site. BLASTP searches reveal that AsIIC259 putative protein displays a low degree of similarity to a unique nodulin from Lupinus luteus nodules. No significant identity is displayed over the predicted polypeptides of AsG2511 with any published sequences. Virtual Northern blot and semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses indicate that the two genes are expressed exclusively in inoculated roots and that their expression is 2-4 d later than that of the leghaemoglobin (Lb) gene during nodule development.