Stereochemical control in diastereoselective reduction of α-substituted-β-ketoesters using a reductase purified from Kluyveromyces marxianus.

An NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase that shows (3R)-selective reducing activity for α-substituted-β-ketoesters was purified from Kluyveromyces marxianus and racemic alkyl 2-substituted-3-oxobutanoates were reduced to the corresponding (2S,3R)- or (2R,3R)-2-substituted-3-hydroxybutanoates with enantiomeric purity (> 99%) and diastereoselectivity (24 ∼ 98%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]