The pcbC gene encoding (4-chloro-)2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase was cloned from the genomic DNA of Pseudomonas sp. P20 using pKT230 to construct pKK1. A recombinant strain, E. coli KK1, was selected by transforming the pKK1 into E. coli XL1-Blue. Another recombinant strain, Pseudomonas sp. DJP-120, was obtained by transferring the pKK1 of E. coli KK1 into Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 by conjugation. Both recombinant strains showed a 23.7 to 26.5 fold increase in the degradation activity to 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl compared with that of the natural isolate, Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12. The DJP-120 strain showed 24.5, 3.5, and 4.8 fold higher degradation activities to 4-chlorobiphenyl, catechol, and 3-methylcatechol than DJ-12 strain, respectively. The pKK1 plasmid of both strains and their ability to degrade 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl were stable even after about 1,200 generations.