Abstract: The invention relates to novel proteins from Pseudomonas glumae, having esterase activity, in particular butynol I esterase activity, to nucleic acid sequences coding therefor, to expression cassettes, vectors and recombinant microorganisms; to methods for preparing said proteins and to the use thereof for enzymic, in particular enantioselective enzymic, ester hydrolysis or transesterification of organic esters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for enantioselectively preparing optically active 4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-one derivatives of the formulae (I) or (Ia) and to a process for preparing (3S,3?S)-astaxanthin of the formula (III), comprising the process for preparing the compound of the formula (I).

Abstract: A method for enzymatic preparation of compounds of the general formula (2) from unsaturated alkene derivatives of the general formula (1) by reducing a compound of the formula (1) in the presence of a reductase, comprising at least one of the polypeptide sequences SEQ ID NO: 1, 2 or 3 or having a functionally equivalent polypeptide sequence which is at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 1, 2 or 3.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the enzymatic reduction of alkyne derivatives of the formula (1), wherein R1 represents H, C1-C6-alkyl, C2-C6-alkenyl, or an optionally substituted carbocyclic or heterocyclic, aromatic or non-aromatic group, R2 represents H, C1-C6-alkyl, C2-C6-alkenyl, by reaction in the presence of special reductases.

Abstract: A process for the racemisation of an optically active alpha-hydroxyketone by incubating said alpha-hydroxyketone in the presence of an acetoin racemase of Lactobacillus.

Abstract: A method for preparing substantially enantiopure 3-hydroxy carboxylic acids or esters of the general formula (III) by reacting racemic oxetan-2-ones of the general formula (I) with compounds R3-OH of the general formula (II) in the presence of a lipase from Candida antartica or Burkholderia plantarii, and separating the resulting products of the formula (III) and (IV) from one another where the radicals have the following meaning: R1, R2, R3 independently of one another H; C1-C10-substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl or hetaryl, where R1 and R2 may not simultaneously have the same meaning.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel proteins from Pseudomonas glumae, having esterase activity, in particular butynol I esterase activity, to nucleic acid sequences coding therefor, to expression cassettes, vectors and recombinant microorganisms; to methods for preparing said proteins and to the use thereof for enzymic, in particular enantioselective enzymic, ester hydrolysis or transesterification of organic esters.

Abstract: A method for racemizing optically active secondary alcohols by incubating these alcohols with at least one alcohol dehydrogenase of the E.C. 1.1.1. class.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enzymic and nonenzymic processes for preparing 3-methylamino-1-(thien-2-yl)propan-1-ol; as well as to enzymes for implementing these processes; and to nucleic acid sequences encoding these enzymes, to expression cassettes containing these nucleic acid sequences, to vectors and to recombinant hosts.

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 invention relates to a process for preparing enantiomerically pure alcohol of the formula 1, which comprises (i) reducing the ketone of the formula 3to the racemic alcohol of the formula 4, (ii) enantioselectively acylating the racemic alcohol of the formula 4 with succinic anhydride in the presence of a lipase to give the succinic semiester of the formula 7, (iii) separating off the succinic semiester of the formula 7 from the unreacted enantiomer of the formula 4, (iv) reacting the enantiomerically pure alcohol of the formula 4 with methylamine to give the enantiomerically pure alcohol of the formula 1.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of enantiomerically pure (S)-3-methyl-amino-1-(thien-2-yl)propan-1-ol of the formula II-S by obtainment of (S)-3-hydroxy-3-thien-2-ylpropionitrile from its enantiomer mixture with the R isomer and the subsequent reaction of (S)-3-hydroxy-3-thien-2-ylpropionitrile with hydrogen and methylamine in the presence of a catalyst to give II-S.

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: A process for preparing optically active 2-methylalkan-1-ol of the general formula (III) comprising the following steps: (i) carbonyl-selective reduction of 2-methylalk-2-en-1-al of the general formula (I) to 2-methylalk-2-en-1-ol of the general formula (II), (ii) enantioselective hydrogenation of 2-methylalk-2-en-1-ol to the general formula (iii), (iii) increasing the optical yield of the optically active 2-methylalkan-1-ol (III) obtained in step (ii) by a lipase-catalyzed acylation reaction, where the radical R means C1-C10-alkyl.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enzymic processes for preparing S-butan-2-ol; and to enzymes for carrying out said processes; to nucleic acid sequences coding for said enzymes, to expression cassettes, vectors and recombinant hosts containing said nucleic acid sequences.

Abstract: The invention relates to a lipase variant which can be prepared by carrying out, on the amino acid sequence of a starting lipase selected from the lipase homologous family I.1 or I.2, at least one amino acid substitution in those positions which correspond to the positions 17, 29, 30, 52, 86, 117, 122, 160, 163, 167, 265, 266, 286, 289 in the prototype lipase sequence SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the preparation of 3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-1-propanone and its use for preparing the pharmaceutical (+)-(S)-N-methyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine oxalate—(trade name Duloxetine®).

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for reacting (di)amines as substrates in the presence of a lysine oxidase arid a reducing agent, resulting in alcohols, diols or cyclic secondary amines. In a particular embodiment, the invention is directed to methods of preparing cyclic secondary amines suitable for ultimately synthesizing piperidine-2-carboxylic acid and proline derivatives, useful, for example as thrombin inhibitors.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing enantiomerically pure alcohol of the formula 1, which comprises (i) reducing the ketone of the formula 3 to the racemic alcohol of the formula 4, (ii) enantioselectively acylating the racemic alcohol of the formula 4 with succinic anhydride in the presence of a lipase to give the succinic semiester of the formula 7, (iii) separating off the succinic semiester of the formula 7 from the unreacted enantiomer of the formula 4, (iv) reacting the enantiomerically pure alcohol of the formula 4 with methylamine to give the enantiomerically pure alcohol of the formula 1.