Patent ID: 7807426

Claim:
A process for producing an optically active 1,4-pentanediol represented by formula (2): (wherein * represents an asymmetric carbon atom) comprising asymmetrically reducing 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone represented by formula (1): wherein said asymmetric reduction of 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone represented by formula (1) is catalyzed by an enzyme comprising the amino acid sequence of the reducing enzyme encoded by a vector selected from the group consisting of: pNTS1G of Escherichia coli HB101 (pNTS1G) (FERM BP-5835); pNTFPG of Escherichia coli HB101 (pNTFPG) (FERM BP-7117); pNTDRG1 of Escherichia coli HB101 (pNTDRG1) (FERM BP-08458); pNTRS of Escherichia coli HB101 (pNTRS) (FERM BP-08545); or pNTRGG1 of Escherichia coli HB101 (pNTRGG1) (FERM BP-7858).