Transcripts of nitrite reductase (nir) and nitric oxide reductase (nor) operons of Paracoccus denitrificans were expressed only under anaerobic conditions in the presence of potassium nitrite. The nir and nor operons produced at least two transcription products. Large transcripts seemed to contain whole operons and small ones seemed to contain the genes encoding denitrifying enzymes. All transcription start sites were detected 41.5 or 42.5 bp downstream from the center of FNR boxes.