Patent ID: 7015029

Claim:
A method for producing an optically active (4R)-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, which comprises allowing cell(s) of Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 19420 or Mycoplana dimorpha IFO 13291, or a mutant thereof, having an activity for stereoselectively hydrolyzing an optically active (4R)-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid amide, or further, a preparation obtained from said cell(s), to act on a mixture of (4R)- and (4S)- and (4S)-enantiomers of a 1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid amide represented by the following general formula (1) to produce an optically active (4R)-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid represented by the following general formula (2) and separating the optically active (4R)-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid: (in the general formulas (1) and (2), R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 each independently represent hydrogen or a lower alkyl group having 1–4 carbon atoms).