Pseudomonas sp. P20 is a natural isolate which is capable of degrading biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl. From a clone of pCK1022 harboring pcbCD genes of Pseudomonas sp P20, a pcbD gene encoding 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2, 4-dienoic acid (HOPDA) hydrolase was subcloned in Escherichia coli XL-1-Blue by using pBluescript SK(+) vector. The 2.8-kb HindII fragment harboring the pcbD gene cloned in pCK 1024 had a single site for each of XhoI, SalI, BstXI, and XbaI restriction enzymes. Escherichia coli CK1024 had a single site for each of XhoI, SalI, BstXI, and XbaI restriction enzymes. Escherichia coli CK1024 carrying pCK0124 degraded HOPDA to benzoate and 2-hydroxypenta-2, 4-dienoate by HOPDA hydrolase encoded by pcbD gene as effectively as E coli CK 1022 HARBORING pcbCD genes.