In this work, we report the isolation and characterization of NPR1-like gene fragments from nine species belonging to the rosaceous subfamilies Pomoideae and Amygdaloideae. Seventy-three NPR1-like gene fragments with uninterrupted open reading frame (ORF) were isolated from the expressed mRNA through a reverse transcriptase PCR-based strategy, most of them ranging from 5 11 to 827 bp. The deduced amino acid sequences of these gene fragments shared structural features with known NPR1 (-like) proteins: ankyrin repeat and the broad complex tramtrack and bric-a-brac/pox virus and zinc finger domain. The highest homology values were found with the NPR1-like gene from Lycopersicon esculentum and genes within the NPR4 phylogenetic group from Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting that they are the NPR4-like orthologs. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed this conclusion and demonstrated the complexity of the gene families. The ankyrin domain was analyzed in detail and an ankyrin consensus was determined. A. comparison of this consensus with a statistically derived ankyrin repeat, as reported by other authors, enabled the prediction of the ankyrin repeat secondary structural elements. In addition, a comparison with some important structural and functional features of NPR1 was performed.