The sigma subunits of eubacterial RNA polymerases determine the site selectivity of initiation of transcription at promoters. Mutations in rpoD, the gene that encodes sigma 70, the major sigma factor in Escherichia coli, should be useful in determining the molecular details of the process of transcription initiation. However, such mutations are likely to be deleterious or lethal, since sigma70 is an essential gene product. We designed a system for the rapid isolation and fine structure mapping of mutations in rpoD, which allows selection of mutations that would otherwise be deleterious to the cell. We used this system to isolate a new class of mutations in rpoD, mutations that relieve the requirement for CAP-cAMP for initiation at promoters in the mal regulon. These mutations, which we designate rpoD(Mal) mutations, occur in two clusters in the rpoD gene within regions previously suggested by amino acid sequence comparisons to be important for sigma structure or function. We cannot distinguish whether the rpoD(Mal) mutations affect mal expression by altering interaction between RNA polymerase and mal promoters or between RNA polymerase and the accessory transcription factor MalT. However, the effects of the mutations on activator-independent transcription from the lac promoter (4 rpoD(Mal) mutations decrease CAP-independent expression of the lac promoter in vivo) suggest that the regions of sigma identified by our mutations may be directly involved in promoter recognition.