The expression of the cloned Saccharomyces cerevisiae antioxidant protein gene in E. coil on plasmid was studied. Introduction of the DNA encoding yeast thiol-specific antioxidant protein into expression vector, PKK 223-3, having the tac promoter resulted in the production in E. coil of a Mr 27,000 polypeptide. This protein represented as much as about 1% of the bacterial soluble protein and showed the thiol-specific antioxidant properties. The bacterial protein showed physico-chemical properties indistringuishable from those of the yeast protein.