Subcloning analysis of a cloned DNA fragment from Bacillus circulans containing the chitinase gene Chi1 showed that the chitinase gene lies on an 1.7 kb PstIStyI fragment. The chitinase gene could be expressed in Escherichia coli strains JM107, DH5α, XL1blue and TG1 with various efficiencies. The expression level of chitinase gene was highest in JM107, which was almost the same as that in B. circulans C2. The molecular weight of extracellular chitinase was 66 kD by SDSPAGE analysis. Cell ...