Malonate decarboxylases for industrial applications

A mutant of a protein having decarboxylase activity selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a protein comprising amino acid residues 2 to 241 of SEQ ID NO:
• 4 and originating from Mesorhizobium sp. BNCI;
• b) a protein comprising amino acid residues 2 to 240 of SEQ ID NO:
• 6 and originating from Pyrcoccus horikoshii OT3;
• c) a protein comprising amino acid residues 2 to 267 of SEQ ID NO:
• 8 and originating from Bordetella Bronchiseptica RB50;
• and
• d) a protein comprising amino acid residues 2 to 246 of SEQ ID NO:
• 10 and originating from Aklaliphilus metalliredigenes QYMF;
• wherein said mutant has sequence identity less than 100% to 60% to the corresponding parent protein and comprises at least one functional mutation in one of the amino acid sequence positions 14, 15, 159 and 190 said positions being numbered according to the alignment of FIG. 3 (b).