The temporal changes of a bacterial community in soil with chitin or chitosan added were analyzed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) targeting the 16S rRNA gene using total DNAs prepared from the community. Band patterns of PCR-DGGE confirmed that 31 species become predominant after the addition of chitin or chitosan. The determination of the nucleotide sequences of the bands of the 31 species indicated that 20 species belonged to the division Proteobacteria, and that the genus Celivibrio was apparently predominant among them (7/20). The 16S rRNA sequences of the 16 deduced species (16/31) showed less than 98% similarities to those of previously identified bacteria, indicating that the species were derived from unidentified bacteria. The total community DNAs extracted from bacterial cells adsorbed on the surface of flakes of chitin and chitosan placed in a river, a moat, or soil were subjected to PCR-DGGE to examine the extent of diversity of chitinolytic bacteria among different environments. The predominant species significantly differed between the chitin and chitosan placed in the river and moat, but not so much between those placed in the soil. The large difference between the diversities of the three bacterial communities indicated that a wide variety of bacteria including unidentified ones are involved in the degradation of chitin and chitosan in the above-mentioned natural environments. (C) 2009, The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. All rights reserved.