Patent ID: 7666659

Claim:
A process for producing an optically active 3-hydroxypropionic ester derivative represented by the formula (3): where R 1 represents an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an optionally substituted aralkyl group having 5 to 15 carbon atoms, or an optionally substituted aryl group having 5 to 15 carbon atoms; R 2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or an optionally substituted aralkyl group having 5 to 15 carbon atoms; and * represents an asymmetric carbon atom, characterized by subjecting a 2-formylacetic ester derivative represented by the formula (2): where R 1 and R 2 are the same as described above; and X represents H, Li, Na or K, to the action of an enzymatic source capable of stereoselectively reducing the formyl group thereof, wherein the R configuration of the derivative represented by the formula (3) is produced by using an enzymatic source which is derived from a microorganism of the genus of Brettanomyces, Debaryomyces, Galactomyces, Ogataea, Pichia, Saccharomycopsis, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Sterigmatomyces, Torulaspora, Trichosporon, Yamadazyma, Achromobacter, Cellulomonas, Devosia, Hafnia, Jensenia, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Proteus, or Serratia , and capable of R-selectively reducing the formyl group of the derivative represented by the formula (2); or the S configuration of the derivative represented by the formula (3) is produced by using an enzymatic source which is derived from an microorganism of the genus of Cystofillobasidium, Pichia, Torulaspora, Williopsis, Devosia, Microbacterium , or Micrococcus and capable of S-selectively reducing the formyl group of the derivative represented by the formula (2), and recovering the optically active 3-hydroxypropionic ester derivative represented by the formula (3) after the stereoselective reduction.