May serve a regulatory role in expression of downstream gene yoaE; in a yoaL-yoaE-lacZ fusion mutation of the start codon to a stop codon in yoaL decreases expression of beta-galactosidase, suggesting translation of the 2 genes is coupled. Expressed approximately equally in exponential and stationary phases (at protein level). This gene lies upstream of and overlaps yoaE on the same strand in another reading frame. Extended N-terminus.