Under certain conditions glucose represses the autoinducible synthesis of luminescence enzymes in Vibrio fischeri. To examine the genetic regulation of luminescence more closely, Escherichia coli catabolite repression mutants were transformed with a plasmid (pJE202) that contains V. fischeri genes specifying the luminescence enzymes and encoding regulatory functions for luminescence (the lux genes) or with plasmids (pJE413 and pJE455) containing transcriptional fusions between the lacZ gene on transposon mini-Mu and specific genes in each of the two lux operons. Unless cyclic AMP (cAMP) was added to the growth medium, an adenylate cyclase deletion mutant containing pJE202 produced very little light and low levels of the light-emitting enzyme luciferase. When grown in the presence or absence of cAMP, a cAMP receptor protein (CRP) deletion mutant produced low levels of light and luciferase. A mutant that does not make cAMP but does make an altered CRP which does not require cAMP for activity produced induced levels of luminescence after transformation with pJE202. To test the effects of cAMP and CRP on each of the two lux operons separately rather than on both together, the E. coli catabolite repression mutants were transformed with pJE413 and pJE455. From measurements of beta-galactosidase and luciferase activities it appeared that cAMP and CRP affected transcription of both lux operons. In the presence of autoinducer and its receptor, transcription of the operon encoding all of the luminescence genes except the receptor gene appeared to be activated by cAMP and CRP, whereas in the absence of the receptor, cAMP and CRP appeared to decrease transcription of this operon. Transcription of the operon encoding the autoinducer receptor appeared to be stimulated by cAMP and CRP in the absence of the receptor itself. These results demonstrate that cAMP and CRP are required for proper control of the V. fischeri luminescence system and suggest that lux gene transcription is required by a complex mechanism.