The second lysine decarboxylase gene (ldc) is at 4.7 min on the Escherichia coli chromosome [Kikuchi et al., J. Baceriol. 179, 4486-4492 (1997)]. This report showes that the expression of Ide as well as cadA was induced at stationary phase in the wild type of E. coli. The Ide was not expressed in a rpoS deletion mutant of E. coli at any growing stage. In contrast, cadA was expressed in the rpoS mutant. Thus, we conclude that the expression of Ide but not cadA at stationary phase is regulated by a RpoS-dependent mechanism (s) in E. coli.