Transcription of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae CTT1 gene encoding the cytosolic catalase T has been previously shown to be derepressed by nutrient stress. To investigate whether expression of this gene is also affected by other types of stress, the influence of heat shock on CTT1 expression was studied. The results obtained show that expression of the gene is low at 23 degrees C and is induced rapidly at 37 degrees C. By deletion analysis, a promoter element necessary for high level induction by heat shock was located between base pairs -340 and -364 upstream of the translation start codon. This region was demonstrated to be sufficient for heat shock control by placing it upstream of a S. cerevisiae LEU2-lacZ fusion gene. Mutagenesis of the region showed that the response to heat shock is not mediated by a sequence similar to canonical heat shock elements, but by DNA elements also involved in nutrient control of transcription. Catalase T appears to have a function in protecting yeast cells against oxidative damage under stress conditions. Catalase T-containing strains are less sensitive to exposure to 50 degrees C ("lethal heat shock") than isogenic catalase T-deficient mutants, and catalase T-containing strains pretreated by incubation at 37 degrees C are less sensitive to H2O2 than pretreated catalase-deficient mutants.