High levels of xylanase activity (143.98 IU/ml) produced by the newly isolated Paenibacillus campinasensis G1-1 were detected when it was cultivated in a synthetic medium. A thermostable xylanase, designated XynG1-1, from P. campinasensis G1-1 was purified to homogeneity by Octyl-Sepharose hydrophobic-interaction chromatography, Sephadex G75 gel-filter chromatography, and Q-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography, consecutively. By multistep purification, the specific activity of XynG1-1 was up to 1,865.5 IU/mg with a 9.1-fold purification. The molecular mass of purified XynG1-1 was about 41.3 kDa as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Sequence analysis revealed that XynG1-1 containing 377 amino acids encoded by 1,134 bp genomic sequences of P. campinasensis G1-1 shared 96% homology with XylX from Paenibacillus campinasensis BL11 and 77%~78% homology with xylanases from Bacillus sp. YA-335 and Bacillus sp. 41M-1, respectively. The activity of XynG1-1 was stimulated by Ca 2+ , Ba 2+ , DTT, and βmercaptoethanol, but was inhibited by Ni 2+ , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Zn 2+ , SDS, and EDTA. The purified XynG1-1 displayed a greater affinity for birchwood xylan, with an optimal temperature of 60 o C and an optimal pH of 7.5. The fact that XynG1-1 is cellulose-free, thermostable (stability at high temperature of 70 o C~80 o C), and active over a wide pH range (pH 5.0~9.0) suggests that the enzyme is potentially valuable for various industrial applications, especially for pulp bleaching pretreatment.