Patent ID: 7851187

Claim:
A method for producing an L-serine derivative of formula (III): comprising reacting an L-α-amino acid of formula (I): with an aldehyde of formula (II): in the presence of an enzyme, wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbons, an aryl group with 6 to 14 carbons, a cycloalkyl group with 3 to 10 carbons, an aralkyl group with 7 to 19 carbons, an alkoxyalkyl group with 2 to 11 carbons, a group containing a hetero atom in the carbon skeleton thereof, and a group containing a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond in the carbon skeleton thereof, wherein these groups may be either linear or branched and may have a substituent, and wherein R 2 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen, an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbons, an aryl group with 6 to 14 carbons, a cycloalkyl group with 3 to 10 carbons, an aralkyl group with 7 to 19 carbons, an alkoxyalkyl group with 2 to 11 carbons, a group containing a hetero atom in the carbon skeleton thereof, and a group containing a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond in the carbon skeleton thereof, wherein these groups may be either linear or branched and may have a substituent; wherein said enzyme is a protein selected from the group consisting of: (A) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 23; and (B) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence which has variation in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 23, wherein said variation is selected from the group consisting of substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, inversion, and combinations thereof, of amino acids in said sequence, and wherein said protein is at least 90% homologous with the sequence of SEQ ID NO. 23 and is able to catalyze the reaction to form said L-serine derivative of formula (III).