We previously identified three well-dispersed mutations, E978-K, F989-L and D1009-R within the haemolysin A signal region, located at positions -46, -35 and -15, with respect to the C-terminus, respectively. Each mutation reduces the efficiency of secretion two- to threefold leaving 30-45% of the wild-type activity. We have constructed by in vitro manipulations double mutants of HlyA carrying all combinations of these mutations and a triple mutant carrying all three mutations. The effects on secretion were determined and the results, including residual levels of secretion with the triple mutant of only 0.6%, compared with the wild type, indicated that these residues may interact to form a single function in the wild-type signal. To test this further, we developed a secretion competition assay in order to classify signal mutations. We demonstrated that a CIZ-HlyA fusion protein, containing the C-terminal 81 kDa of HlyA fused to virtually the whole LacZ protein, strongly inhibits the secretion of the wild-type HlyA co-expressed in the same cell. The properties of the fusion indicate that it blocks the translocator. The three mutations singly and in combinations were recombined in vitro into the 3'-end of the hybrid gene. In every case, the presence of a mutation in the secretion signal of the hybrid protein alleviated the inhibition of secretion of the co-expressed HlyA. All the mutations are therefore essentially recessive and we propose that they all affect an early function, probably recognition of the translocator, rather than a subsequent step involved in translocation or final release of the toxin to the medium. This would indicate that residues involved in recognition (or steps leading to recognition) extend from at least -15 to -46 with respect to the HlyA C-terminus.