Identification of Candida tenuis xylose reductase as highly selective biocatalyst for the synthesis of aromatic alpha-hydroxy esters and improvement of its efficiency by protein engineering.

Wild-type Candida tenuis xylose reductase and two Trp-23 mutants thereof catalyze NADH-dependent reduction of a homologous series of aromatic alpha-keto esters with absolute pseudo re-face stereoselectivity and broad tolerance for the substituent on the aromatic ring, producing the corresponding R-alcohols in high yield.