Expression of the meta-cleavage pathway operon of TOL plasmid pWW0 of Pseudomonas putida is positively regulated by the xylS gene product. We have sequenced the promoter region of this operon and localized the transcription initiation sites. Two overlapping promoters, designated Pm1 and Pm2, are responsible for the positively regulated expression of the meta-pathway operon. Mutants of P. putida were isolated that expressed the meta-cleavage pathway operon constitutively. Several plasmid-located mutations that led to constitutivity were characterized by sequencing and the transcription initiation sites on mutant plasmids localized. This resulted in the identification of newly created promoters whose functioning did not require the xylS product. Comparison of the promoter sequences obtained suggests a tentative consensus sequence for promoters of P. putida which is significantly different from that of E. coli.