Enzymatic Production of d-Glycerate from l-Tartrate

Abstract

d-Glyceric acid is a useful chiral synthon in synthetic organic chemistry. To produce d-glycerate cheaply, microorganisms that convert l-tartrate into d-glycerate with good yields and selectivity were isolated from soil samples. One microorganism obtained was identified as a strain of Pseudomonas sp. group Ve-2 and found to produce a new enzyme, l-tartrate decarboxylase. This enzyme catalyzes the direct conversion of l-tartrate into d-glycerate, with almost 100 % selectivity. In the presence of a cell-extract of Pseudomonas sp. group Ve-2, the amount of d-glycerate produced from l-tartrate reached 53 g/1 under the best conditions examined, with a molar yield of almost 100 % and an optical purity of more than 92 % e.e.