Phenylacetaldehyde reductase (PAR) produced by styreneassimilating Corynebacterium strain ST-10 was used to synthesize chiral alcohols. This enzyme with a broad substrate range reduced various prochiral aromatic ketones and b-ketoesters to yield optically active secondary alcohols with an enantiomeric purity of more than 98% enantiomeric excess (.). The Escherichia coli recombinant cells which expressed the par gene could efficiently produce important pharmaceutical intermediates;
