Thioredoxin is a multi-functional protein which is ubiquitous in microorganisms, animals and plants. Previously, expression of the E. coli thioredoxin gene was found to be negatively regulated by cAMP. In the present study, the effect of cAMP on two separate promoters of the E. coli thioredoxin gene was investigated. Cyclic AMP had a repressible effect on P1 and P1P2 promoter activity of the constructs. This effect was also observed in the cya strain. The P2 promoter construct gave very high -galactosidase activity, and its expression was not affected by exogenous cAMP. It was assumed that a cis-acting negative element, probably the cAMP-CRP binding site, might have been deleted in the P1 promoter construct. Repression of the thioredoxin gene expression by cAMP appeared to be independent of ppGpp.