An nlp (Ner like protein) gene from E. coli was previously cloned and sequenced. Here we show that expression of the sugar metabolism related genes, lacZ, malQ and malP, increased 2.5-to 8.3-fold in the presence of a plasmid containing the nlp gene. This suggested that the nlp gene could induce maltose- and lactose-metabolism coordinately with crp*1 in the absence of cAMP. Using the nlp-lacZ fusion gene, it was possible to show the promoter of nlp was active in vivo.