Escherichia coli lysyl-tRNA synthetase was previously shown to occur as two distinct species encoded by either the lysS or the lysU gene. The expression of one of these genes, lysU, is under the control of cell growth conditions. To study the regulation of lysU, delta lysS strains were constructed. During aerobic growth at 37 degrees C or below, the amount of the lysU product in the cell is so reduced that delta lysS bacteria grow only poorly. The reduced expression of lysU is not related to the steady-state lysyl-tRNA synthetase concentration in the cell, since the expression of a lysU::lacZ fusion is insensitive to the absence of either lysS or lysU or to the addition of a multi-copy plasmid carrying either lysU or lysS. During anaerobic growth in rich medium, the lysU gene becomes strongly expressed and, in cell extracts, the amount of lysyl-tRNA synthetase activity originating from lysU may become seven times greater than the activity originating from lysS. In minimal medium, lysU expression is only slightly induced. Evidence that the sensitivity of lysU expression to anaerobiosis, as well as to low external pH conditions (E. W. Hickey and I. N. Hirshfield, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 56:1038-1045, 1990), is governed at the level of transcription is provided.