The mature peptide of Bacillus licheniformis xylanase A (BlxA) was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris under the control of AOX1 promoter. After 96-h 0.25% methanol induction, the activity of recombinant B. licheniformis xylanase A (reBlxA) in culture supernatant was 122.9 U/mg. Enzymatic properties assays showed that the optimum temperature and pH for reBlxA were 60 degrees C and pH 6.0, respectively. When treated at 70 degrees C, pH 6.0 for 2 min, the residual activities of the reBlxA were 76%. Over 80% of reBlxA activity was retained after treatment of the enzyme by preincubation over a pH range of 5.0-9.0 for 1h at 25 degrees C. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that xylotriose (X3) was the main hydrolysis product released from birchwood xylan and wheat bran insoluble xylan by reBlxA. The mode of action studies showed that reBlxA was an endo-acting xylanase and xylobiose (X2), xylotriose, xylotetraose (X4), xylopentaose (X5), and xylohexaose (X6) could be hydrolyzed by it. This is the first report on the expression of reBlxA in yeast and on determining and quantifying the hydrolysis products released from xylans by reBlxA.