Cloning and Expression inEscherichia coliof a Gene Coding for a Secondary Alcohol Dehydrogenase fromCandida parapsilosis

A gene encoding a stereo-specific secondary alcohol dehydrogenase (CpSADH) that catalyzed the oxidation of (S)-1,3-BDO to 4-hydroxy-2-butanone was cloned from Candida parapsilosis. This CpSADH-gene consisted of 1,009 nucleotides coding for a protein with M(r) 35,964. A recombinant Escherichia coli JM109 strain harboring the expression plasmid, pKK-CPA1, produced (R)-1,3-BDO (93.5% ee., 94.7% yield) from the racemate without any additive to regenerate NAD+ from NADH.