May serve a regulatory role in expression of downstream gene baxA; in a baxL-baxA-lacZ fusion mutation of the start codon to a stop codon in baxL increases expression of beta-galactosidase. Expressed in both exponential and stationary phase in rich medium; expression is considerably higher during exponential phase (at protein level). This gene lies upstream of and overlaps baxA on the same strand in another reading frame.