As one of four key enzymes in glycerol dismutation process, 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase (EC.1.1.1.202) is important in converting glycerol to 1,3-propanediol in Klebsiella pneumoniae. The dhaT gene encoding 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the genome DNA of K. pneumoniae as template, and then cloned into cloning vector pMD18-T. After DNA sequence was determined, the dhaT gene was subcloned into Escherichia coli expression vector pET-22b (+) and pET-28a (+). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed that both the recombinant E. coli BL21 (DE3) (pET-22b (+)-dhaT) and E. coli BL21(DE3)(pET-28a (+)-dhaT) expressed predicted 42-kDa 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase after induced by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalac-topyranoside (IPTG), and the recombinant enzyme of E. coli BL21 (DE3) (pET-28a (+)-dhaT) was mostly in soluble form, and exhibited high activity (96.8 U/mL culture). The recombinant enzyme was purified and biochemically characterized. The apparent Km values of the enzyme for 1,3-propanediol and NAD+ were 8.5 and 0.21 mM, respectively. The enzyme had maximum activity at pH 9.5 and 30 degrees C.