A gene encoding the xylanase of Bacillus subtilis AMX-4 isolated from soil was cloned into Escherichia coli, and the gene product was purified from the cell-free extract of the recombinant strain. The gene, designated xylA, consisted of 639 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 213 residues. The deduced amino acid sequence was highly homologous to those of xylanase belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 11. The molecular mass of the purified xylanase was 23 kDa as estimated by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme had a pH optimum at 6.0-7.0 and a temperature optimum at 50-55 degrees C. Xylanase activity was significantly inhibited by 5 mM Cu2+ and 5 mM Mn2+, and noticeably enhanced by 5 mM Fe2+. The enzyme was active on xylans including arabinoxylan, birchwood xylan, and oat spelt xylan, but it did not exhibit activity toward carboxymethylcellulose or p-nitrophenyl-beta-xylopyranoside. The predominant products resulting from xylan and xylooligosaccharide hydrolysis were xylobiose and xylotriose. The enzyme could hydrolyze xylooligosaccharides larger than xylotriose.