Disclosed is a nucleotide sequence comprising substantially the sequence of nucleotides 229 to 2319 of the sequence shown in Figure 1 encoding an enzyme having exo-(1}4)- beta -D-galactanase activity or a precursor or derivative of such an enzyme, or the functional equivalent of such a sequence. Also disclosed are vectors and hosts comprising the sequence of the invention, and a polypeptide encoded thereby. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of a functionally equivalent enzyme obtainable from tomato fruit are also disclosed.
