The HEM13 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae codes for coproporphyrinogen oxidase (EC 1.3.3.3) catalyzing the sixth enzymic step in the heme biosynthetic pathway. Its expression has been previously shown to be regulated negatively by heme and oxygen. We have isolated the HEM13 gene by functional complementation of a hem13 gene by functional complementation of a hem13 mutant and determined its nucleotide sequence. The open reading frame encodes a protein of 328 amino acids. Its calculated molecular weight (37,673), amino acid composition and amino-terminal sequence predicted from the DNA sequence are in agreement with those determined for the native enzyme (Camadro, J. M., Chambon, H., Jolles, J., and Labbe, P. (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 156, 579-587). The 5' ends of the HEM13 transcripts were identified by nuclease S1 mapping; induction of HEM13 resulted in an equivalent increase of the level of all the transcripts. 5' deletion analysis revealed that DNA sequence located upstream of 409 nucleotides from the translational initiation codon was needed for depression under oxygen limitation. The loss of induction of coproporphyrinogen oxidase activity by anaerobiosis caused a considerable decrease of heme formation in anaerobic cells.