I have sequenced the first 63 bases of mRNA transcribed in vitro from the UV5 promoter mutant of the E. coli lactose operon. Sonic fragments of DNA, 1000 base pairs long and purified to contain only the lac operator-promoter region, were used as template. The UV5 promoter mutation allows transcription of the lac operon in the absence of catabolite activator protein and cAMP; lac repressor controls the synthesis of this RNA. I find that during synthesis, RNA polymerase pauses at particular sites along the DNA, naturally generating several discrete sizes of RNA that provide overlaps useful for sequencing. The UV5 lac mRNA initiates within the lac operator and copies the operator sequence. The AUG initiator codon for beta-galactosidase occurs at position 39 of the message. The sequence is: pppA-A-U-U-G-U-G-A-G-C-G-G-A-U-A-A-C-A-A-U-U-U- C-A-C-A-C-A-G-G-A-A-A-C-A-G-C-U-A-U-G-A-C-C-A-U- G-A-U-U-A-C-G-G-A-U-U-C-A-C-U-G-G.