A series of fungi and yeasts have been tested for the stereoselective bioreduction of 2- oxocycloalkanecarbonitriles, 1. The yeast Saccharomyces montanus CBS 6772 yielded the corresponding cis-hydroxy nitriles, 2, in> 90% ee and de and in high chemical yields. Through simple and efficient procedures, they were transformed into optically active 2-amino and 2-aminomethyl cycloalkanols.
