Bacillus licheniformis chromosone

An isolated polypeptide having endoglucanase activity, selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) a polypeptide having endoglucanase activity comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 5980;
• and
• (b) a polypeptide having endoglucanase activity encoded by a gene comprising a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes under medium-high stringency conditions with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1783, or the full-length complementary strand thereof, wherein high stringency conditions are defined as prehybridization and hybridization at 42° C. in 5×SSPE, 0.3% SDS, 200 μg/ml sheared and denatured salmon sperm DNA, and 35% formamide, and washing three times each for 15 minutes using 2×SSC, 0.2% SDS at 60° C.