Abstract: The present invention relates to proteins having an enzymatic activity of reducing substituted alkanones such as 3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-propan-1-one. The invention furthermore relates to nucleic acids coding for said proteins, nucleic acid constructs, vectors, genetically modified microorganisms and to methods for preparing optically active substituted alkanols, such as, for example, (S)-3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-(S)-propanol.

Abstract: A process for preparing optically active alkanols of the formula I in which n is an integer from 0 to 5; Cyc is an optionally substituted, mono- or polynuclear, saturated or unsaturated, carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring, and R1 is halogen, SH, OH, NO2, NR2R3 or NR2R3R4+X?, with R2, R3 and R4 independently of one another being hydrogen or a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy radical and X? being a counterion, which process comprises incubating in a medium comprising alkanone of the formula II in which n, Cyc and R1 are as defined above, an enzyme having a polypeptide sequence (i) SEQ ID NO: 1 or (ii) in which, compared to SEQ ID NO:1, up to 25% of the amino acid radicals have been altered by deletion, insertion, substitution or a combination thereof and which retains at least 50% of the enzymic activity of SEQ ID NO:1, with the compound of the formula II being enzymically reduced to give the compound of the formula I, and isolating the product formed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid from 5-norbornene-2-endo-carbonitrile and/or 5-norbornene-2-exo-carbonitrile. The invention relates in particular to a process which enables 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid to be prepared at a high substrate concentration. The invention furthermore relates to a polypeptide suitable for enzymatic conversion of 5-norbornene-2-carbonitrile to give 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid, in particular also with a high substrate concentration, and to a nucleic acid encoding said polypeptide, to a composition comprising 5-norbornene-2-carbonitrile to 5-norbornene-2-endo-carboxylic acid and 5-norbornene-2-exo-carboxylic acid, and to the use of said polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to proteins having an enzymatic activity of reducing substituted alkanones such as 3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-propan-1-one. The invention furthermore relates to nucleic acids coding for said proteins, nucleic acid constructs, vectors, genetically modified microorganisms and to methods for preparing optically active substituted alkanols, such as, for example, (S)-3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-(S)-propanol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing the optically active alkanols of formula (I), wherein n is an integer of from 0 to 5; Cyc represents an optionally substituted, mononuclear or polynuclear, saturated or unsaturated, carbocylic or heterocyclic ring, and R1 represents halogen, SH, OH, NO2, NR2R3 or NR2R3R4+X?, wherein R2, R3 and R4 independently represent H or a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy group and X? represents a counterion. According to the invention, an enzyme (E) selected from the groups of dehydrogenases, aldehyde reductases and carbonyl reductases is incubated in a medium containing the alkanone of formula (II), wherein n, Cyc and R1 are defined as above, in the presence of reduction equivalents.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for purifying (1S)-3-METHYLAMINO-1-(2-THIENYL)-1-PROPANOL by distilling a reaction mixture which comprises between 25 and 99% by weight of (IS)-3-METHYLAMINO-1-(2-THIENYL)-1-PROPANOL.

Abstract: The present Invention relates to new nitrilases with modified Substrate acceptance, the method to obtain them and the use of the aforesaid nitrilases. Said nitrilases are encoded by a polypeptide sequence, which at a Position corresponding to Position 296 in wild-type Alcaligenes faecalis comprises an amino acid which is not tyrosine. The Invention further relates to nucleic acid sequences and amino acid sequences encoding Said nitrilases, expression constructs comprising Said nucleic acid sequences, vectors comprising the nucleic acid sequences or the exPression constructs, to organisms, preferably microorganisms, comprising the nucleic acid sequences, expression constructs or vectors. The Invention additionally relates to a method for preparing carboxylic acids, preferably substituted chiral carboxylic acids from racemic nitriles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to proteins having an enzymatic activity of reducing substituted alkanones such as 3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-propan-1-one. The invention furthermore relates to nucleic acids coding for said proteins, nucleic acid constructs, vectors, genetically modified microorganisms and to methods for preparing substituted (S)-alkanols, such as, for example, (S)-3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-(S)-propanol.

Abstract: The present invention relates to proteins which have an enzymatic activity for hydrolyzing L-pantolactone. The invention further relates to nucleic acids which code for these proteins, to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, genetically modified microorganisms and to a process for preparing D-pantolactone.