The bla and ompA gene transcripts were used as substrates to probe Escherichia coli extracts for ribonucleolytic activities. A site specific endoribonucleolytic activity was identified that cleaves ompA and bla mRNA. The cleavages occur in vitro and in vivo. For both the bla and ompA mRNA most of the cleavage sites which were identified map in the 5' non-coding region. The cleavages of the ompA transcript have been previously suggested to regulate the growth rate dependent stability of this mRNA. Thus we propose that the identified endoribonucleolytic activity may be involved in the degradation of mRNA. Analysis of mutants revealed that the cleavages are mediated by endonucleases which do not seem to be identical to RNase III, RNase E or RNase P.