A genomic DNA library of the bacterium Bacillus pumilus PLS was constructed and the β-xylosidase gene (xynB) was amplified from a 3-kb genomic DNA fragment with the aid of the polymerase chain reaction technique. The amplified xynB gene was inserted between the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase II gene promoter (ADH2 _P ) and terminator (ADH2 _T ) sequences on a multicopy episomal plasmid (pDLG11). The xynB gene was also fused in-frame to the secretion signal sequence of the yeast mating pheromone α-factor (MFα1 _S ) before insertion between the ADH2 _P and ADH2 _T sequences on a similar multicopy episomal plasmid (pDLG12). The resulting construct ADH2 _P -MFα1 _S -xynB-ADH2 _T was designated XLO1. Both plasmids pDLG11 and pDLG12 were introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiae but only the expression of the XLO1 gene yielded biologically functional β-xylosidase. The total β-xylosidase activity remained cell-associated with a maximum activity of 0.09 nkat/ml obtained when the recombinant S. cerevisiae strain was grown for 143 h in synthetic medium. The temperature and pH optima of the recombinant Xlo1 enzyme were 45–50 °C and pH 6.6 respectively. The enzyme was thermostable at 45 °C; however, at 60 °C most of the Xlo1 was inactive after 5 min.