A chitinase-secreting strain CH2 was one of 353 strains isolated from rhizosphere of eggplant. Based on 16S rDNA sequence alignment and several biochemical and physiological characteristics, the strain was identified to be of Bacillus cereus. On chitin–Ayers (CA) medium, the strain secreted chitinase. Evaluation of its activity, combined with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), showed it to be a 15.0-KD chitinase. On glass slides, germination of the fungal spores was effectively suppressed by the bacterial suspension, supernatant from the suspension, and 0.005% solution of chitinase extracted from the strain CH2. The optimum pH for chitinase was 7.1 and optimum temperature was 40°C.  At that temperature, high-level chitinolytic activity was retained for 10 days. In greenhouse experiments, suspension of the cells of the CH2 strain reduced the severity of Verticillium wilt on eggplant by 69.69%, its supernatant by 54.04%, and the enzyme diluted to 0.01% strength by 53.13% in 14 days. Strain CH2 and its chitinase have good commercial potential in controlling Verticillium wilt.
