To initiate a genetic analysis of yeast ribosomal protein gene promoters, we have constructed a gene fusion between the yeast ribosomal protein gene RP39A and the Escherichia coli lacZ gene. This gene fusion contains approximately 1,030 nucleotides of the 5' flanking region and the first 49 1/3 codons of RP39A fused in frame to a large 3' end fragment of lacZ. Whether it is introduced into yeast cells on a moderately high-copy-number plasmid, or integrated into the yeast genome at the RP39A locus, this RP39A-lacZ gene directs the synthesis of a hybrid transcript which encodes beta-galactosidase activity. Deletions in the 5' flanking region of RP39A-lacZ were constructed by linker insertion and BAL 31 mutagenesis. The expression of the mutant genes in yeast cells was assayed by measuring RP39A-lacZ mRNA and beta-galactosidase levels. By these means we have shown that the sequences between nucleotides -256 and -170 upstream of RP39A are essential for expression of this gene. Three sequence motifs, HOMOL1, RPG, and a T-rich region, which were found in that order 5'----3' upstream of most yeast ribosomal protein genes, were present within this interval. We found that substitution of the CYC1-lacZ upstream activation site with the fragment from nucleotides -298 to -172 upstream of RP39A, containing the HOMOL1-RPG-T-rich motif in that 5'----3' orientation, fully restored expression of the CYC1-lacZ gene. The essentially of HOMOL1, the RPG sequence, and the T-rich region for wild-type levels of expression of RP39A, the conserved location and order of these sequence motifs in yeast ribosomal protein genes, and the ability of a DNA fragment carrying these three sequence elements to substitute for the upstream activation site regions of CYC1 indicate that these three oligonucleotides may be essential to the transcription of yeast ribosomal protein genes.