Abstract: The invention relates to a synthetic nucleic acid molecule for expressing at least one nucleotide sequence of interest in at least one prokaryotic host cell, comprising, amongst others, at least one replication module comprising at least one replication cassette for promoting replication of the nucleic acid molecule in Gram-negative organisms and at least one replication cassette for promoting replication of the nucleic acid molecule in Gram-positive organisms, and at least one expression module for promoting expression of the nucleotide sequence of interest in the host cell, wherein each module is flanked at both ends by at least one unique restriction site. The invention further concerns a method for producing a shuttle vector comprising several modules, wherein said shuttle vector is designed by selecting each of said modules such that the vector is optimized for its intended use.

Abstract: The invention relates to nucleic acid molecules selected from the group comprising: a) nucleic acid molecules that code for a form of the polypeptide with the derived amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID No. 3, said polypeptide having a deacetylase activity; b) nucleic acid molecules that comprise the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No.

Abstract: A chitinosanase obtainable from the fungus Alternaria alternate. The chitinosanase specifically cleaves a GlcNAc-GlcN glycosidic bond in a chitosan, possesses a relative molecular weight as determined by SDS-PAGE of about 18 kDa, has an optimum pH of about 4 and has an optimum temperature of about 70° C.