In this study, the primers were designed based on the conserved sequences of other plant NBSLRR genes in GenBank. The fulllength cDNA (PbNBSLRR) sequence of NBSLRR gene in Picea balfouriana was cloned by RTPCR. Analysis of the information of PbNBSLRR and its encoding protein were carried out and the expression characteristics of the gene in spruce was studied. The results showed that: (1) PbNBSLRR gene is 2 616 bp with a 2 508 bp ORF, encoding 836 amino acids, which has the typical NBARC domain and LRR domain of NBSLRR resistance genes, and gene accession number is MK044348. (2) At the amino acids level, the similarity of the PbNBSLRR protein to the corresponding sequence in Picea sitchensis NBSLRR protein is 98%. Molecular evolution analysis further indicated that PbNBSLRR was closely related to the NBSLRR of P. sitchensis. (3) Quantitative realtime PCR analysis showed that the expression of NBSLRR was observed in all tissues of P. balfouriana, P. asperata, and P. likiangensis, and the highest expression level was found in the roots of P. balfouriana and P. asperata and the trunk phloem of P. likiangensis. In addition, the expression of NBSLRR was upregulated by infection with Lophodermium piceae. The highest expression of NBSLRR gene in P. balfouriana and P. asperata was found in May and P. likiangensis was found in Steptember (1.73fold, 2.11fold and 90.49fold higher than that in control, respectively), which indicated that the NBSLRR gene is involved in the defense response of the needle cast disease in spruce.