The complete nucleotide sequence of polymerase 3 (P3) gene of a human influenza virus (A/WSN/33) has been determined using cDNA clones except for the last 11 nucleotides which were obtained by direct RNA sequencing. The WSN P3 gene contains 2,341 nucleotides and codes for a protein of 759 amino acids (molecular weight 85,800). The WSN P3 protein, as deduced from the plus-strand DNA sequence, is basic and enriched in positively charged amino acids. In addition, it contains clusters of basic amino acids which may provide sites for the interaction of P3 protein with the capped primer, template, and/or other polymerase proteins during the transcriptive and replicative processes of influenza viral RNA.