Large-scale production of chiral alcohols with bakers' yeast

Chiral alcohols were produced on a large scale by developing effective regeneration systems of nicotinamide coenzymes in bakers' yeast cells. In the asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones, ethanol is used instead of carbohydrate as the energy source for NAD(P)H regeneration. We propose an overall scheme for NAD(P)H regeneration from NAD(P) + through the oxidative pathway of ethanol. In the oxidative resolution of a racemic alcohol, NAD + is effectively regenerated from NADH through the respiratory chain in the yeast cells. Thus, racemic 1,2-alkanediols were microbially resolved on a large scale by repeating the oxidative resolution and the asymmetric reduction.