Process for producing optically active 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane

1. A process for producing an optically active 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (2):

wherein each of R1, R2 and R3 independently represents a C1-C4 alkyl group, and * represents that the carbon atom is an asymmetrical center, the process comprising a step of asymmetric hydrolysis of an 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialokoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1):

wherein R1, R2 and R3 are as defined above,

by using an enzyme capable of selectively hydrolyzing an ester moiety of either one enantiomer of the 2-alkyl- 1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1), or a culture of a microorganism capable of producing the enzyme or a treated object thereof,

wherein the enzyme is an esterase or a lipase originated from Arthrobacter strain SC-6-98-28 (FERM BP-3658) or Chromobacterium strain SC-YM-1 (FERM BP-6703).

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein R1 in the 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1) is a methyl group.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein R2 in the 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1) is a methyl group.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein R3 group in the 2-alkyl -1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1) is a methyl.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein both R1 and R2 in the 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1) are methyl groups.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein both R2 and R3 in the 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1) are methyl groups.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein all of R1, R2 and R3 in the 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1) are methyl groups.

8. A process for producing an optically active 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (2):

wherein, each of RE R2 and R3 independently represents a C1-C4 alkyl group, and * represents that the carbon atom is an asymmetrical center, the process comprising a step of asymmetric hydrolysis of an 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialokoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1):

wherein R1, R2 and R3 are as defined above,

by using an enzyme capable of selectively hydrolyzing an ester moiety of either one enantiomer of the 2-alkyl- 1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1), or a culture of a microorganism capable of producing the enzyme or a treated object thereof, wherein the enzyme comprises:

a) the 1 st to 362 nd amino acids of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a variant thereof, in which one to two amino acids are deleted, replaced or added; or

b) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, or a variant thereof, in which one to two amino acids are deleted, replaced or added.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the enzyme comprises:

a) the 1 st to 362 nd amino acids of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, in which the 43 rd amino acid residue, asparagine, is replaced by serine;

b) the 1 st to 362 nd amino acids of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, in which the 160 th amino acid residue, glycine, is replaced by serine or alanine; and the 189th amino acid residue, glycine, is replaced by phenylalanine, tyrosine or histidine;

c) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, in which the 325th amino acid residue, valine, is replaced by isoleucine; or

d) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, in which the 240th amino acid residue, threonine, is replaced by alanine; and the 288 th amino acid residue, valine, is replaced by alanine.

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the enzyme comprises the 1 st to 362 nd amino acids of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, in which the 160 th amino acid residue, glycine, is replaced by serine; and the 189th amino acid residue, glycine, is replaced by phenylalanine.

11. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the enzyme comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3.

12. A process for producing an optically active 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (2):

wherein each of R1, R2 and R3 independently represents a C1-C4 alkyl group, and * represents that the carbon atom is an asymmetrical center, the process comprising a step of asymmetric hydrolysis of an 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialokoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1):

wherein R1, R2 and R3 are as defined above,

by using an enzyme capable of selectively hydrolyzing an ester moiety of either one enantiomer of the 2-alkyl- 1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane represented by Formula (1), or a culture of a microorganism capable of producing the enzyme or a treated object thereof, wherein the enzyme is a cholesterol esterase originated from Candida cylindracea (produced by Roche Diagnostics), Chirazyme E-3 (produced by Roche Diagnostics), PLE-A (produced by Amano Enzyme Inc.), ChiroCLEC-CR (produced by Altus Biologics), Chirazyme E-4 (produced by Roche Diagnostics), Chirazyme L-3 (produced by Roche Diagnostics), Lipase OF (produced by Meito Sangyo Co., Ltd.), Lipase MY (produced by Meito Sangyo Co., Ltd.), Chirazyme P-1 (produced by Roche Diagnostics), Purafect 4000E (produced by GENENCOR), SP-525 (produced by Novozymes, Japan) or α-Chymotrypsin (produced by SIGMA).

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane is 2-methyl-1,1,3-trimethoxycarbonylpropane.

14. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane is 2-methyl-1,1,3-trimethoxycarbonylpropane.

15. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the 2-alkyl-1,1,3-trialkoxycarbonylpropane is 2-methyl-1,1,3-trimethoxycarbonylpropane.