Regio- and stereoselective hydrogenation of methyl substituted pentadien-1-ols by baker's yeast

(E)-2-methyl- and (E)-3-methyl-2,4-pentadien-1-ols are reduced to (S)-2-methyl- and (S)-3-methyl-4-penten-1-ols, respectively, using baker's yeast as a regio- and stereoselective reagent. This microbiological conversion provides an efficient route to bifunctional and enantiomerically pure C6-building blocks containing the C' -CH(Me )-C'' grouping.