Molecular cloning and expression of a Bacillus subtilis beta-glucanase gene in Escherichia coli

A Bacillus subtilis gene coding for an endo-beta-1,3-1,4-glucanase has been transferred to Escherichia coli by molecular cloning using bacteriophage lambda and plasmid vectors. The gene is contained within a 1.6-kb EcoRI-PvuI DNA fragment and directs the synthesis in E. coli of a beta-glucanase which specifically degrades barley glucan and lichenan. A novel dye-staining method has been developed to detect beta-glucanase activity in colonies on agar plates.