This study provides evidence for a new role for the NPC and the NPC-associated SUMO-protease Ulp1 in transcription regulation of two inducible genes, GAL1 and HXK1. Interestingly, thanks to the complexity of GAL1 activation, we could show that Ulp1 is involved in the initial derepression step of GAL1 and not in its transcription activation, suggesting an early role of Ulp1 upon GAL1 induction. Furthermore, we showed that Ssn6 is a target of Ulp1. Ssn6 is sumoylated and acts as a repressor of GAL1. Our current model is that Ssn6 bound to the GAL1 promoter is relocalized to the NPC at an early stage of galactose induction. This allows the desumoylation of Ssn6, and probably other gene bound factors, by Ulp1 leading to the full derepression and activation of GAL1. Interestingly, we also found that Ulp1 is required for GAL1 localization at the NPC.