The fungus Helminthosporium species NRRL 4671 converts a wide range of prochiral sulfides to the corresponding chiral sulfoxides, the majority of which have (S) configuration at sulfur. The formation of a series of chiral cyclopentyl alkyl, cyclohexyl alkyl, benzyl alkyl, and methyl alkyl sulfoxides by biotransformation of the corresponding sulfides using Helminthosporium species is described. The analysis of over 90 such biotransformations ...