The pullulanase gene (pul PL ), encoding a novel type I pullulanase (Pul PL ), was obtained from a Paenibacillus lautus DSM3035 isolate. The gene has an open reading frame of 2355 bp, After optimizing induction conditions in Escherichia coli, we overexpressed recombinant Pul PL , purified this enzyme, and assayed its function . The level of functional Pul PL -like protein reached its maximum (about 0.28 mg/mL, 15% of total protein) after induction for 16 h at 20°C. Under these optimized harvesting conditions, Pul PL activity was 11.1 U/mL. The purified recombinant enzyme with an apparent molecular mass of about 87.9 kDa was able to specifically attack the a-1,6 linkages in pullulan to generate maltotriose as the major product. The purified Pul PL exhibited optimal activity at pH 7.0 and 40°C. The Pul PL hydrolyzed pullulan, amylopectin, starch, and glycogen, but not amylose. Substrate specificity observations and reaction products identifications indicate that the purified pullulanase from P. lautus DSM3035 is a type I pullulanase. The present report, to our knowledge, the first to identify type I pullulanase in P.lautus, and detail the enzymatic properties of this enzyme after heterologous expression.