Aim To obtain the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1(ABCA1) from tree shrew;identify the tissue distribution of ABCA1 in tree shrew. Methods The first strand of cDNA was transcripted from mRNA isolated from tree shrew liver.Benefiting from SMART-RACE technique,cDNA clones of tree shrew ABCA1 were obtained and the amino acid sequence was deduced from the sequencing cDNA.The tissue distribution of ABCA1 in tree shrew was identified by Real-Time PCR. Results The nucleotide sequence of tree shrew ABCA1 covered 7762 bp,including a 6786 bp coding region which encoded a 2261 amino acids protein.This protein shared the same length as the high identity(95%) with human ABCA1.ABCA1 was expressed in many tissues in tree shrew,the highest in lung,followed by liver,kidney and spleen in turn.This pattern was much different from that in human and mouse,which were high in liver whereas less in lung and spleen. Conclusion The feature of tree shrew ABCA1 distributed in tissues may have effects on its concentration and mass,lead to indirectly increase the produce of high density lipoprotein.