Method for producing L-phenylephrine using an alcohol dehydrogenase of Aromatoleum aromaticum EBN1 (Azoarcus sp. EBN1)

A method of production of substituted, optically active alcohols of formula IV

• in which
• Cyc stands for a mono- or polynuclear, saturated or unsaturated, carbocyclic or heterocyclic, optionally singly or multiply substituted ring, which has at least one free hydroxyl group, and
• R1 and R2 independently of one another stand for H or an optionally singly or multiply substituted alkyl residue;
• or of salts of this compound;
• in each case in stereoisomerically pure form or as a mixture of stereoisomers,
• wherein
• a) a ketone of formula I
• in which Cyc has the meanings stated above,
• is reacted in the presence of an aliphatic alcohol with a halogenating agent to a halogenated compound of formula II
• in which Cyc has the meanings stated above and Hal stands for a halogen atom;
• b) the resultant compound of formula II is reduced enzymatically by an ADH enzyme comprising a polypeptide sequence selected from the group consisting of
• (i) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 2, and
• (ii) the amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 2 to the alcohol of formula III
• in which Cyc and Hal have the meanings stated above;
• and
• c) the resultant alcohol of formula III is reacted with an amine of formula HNR1R2, in which R1 and R2 have the meanings stated above, to the compound of formula IV.