A new hemolysin gene from Bacillus cereus VKM-B164 was cloned in Escherichia coli and sequenced. Deduced protein consists of 219 amino acids and has a molecular mass of 24.4 kDa. It has been concluded that the hemolysin, named 'hemolysin III', is distinct from the B. cereus hemolysins reported previously: cereolysin, sphingomyelinase, cereolysin AB, hemolysin II, and 'cereolysin-like' hemolysin (Honda, T., Shiba, A., Seo, S., Yamamoto, J., Matsuyama, J. and Miwatani, T. (1991) FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 79, 205-210).