Pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) catalyses the synthesis of asymmetric carbinols, e.g., chiral precursors for pharmaceuticals such as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The production of PDC by Candida utilis in a minimal medium was improved by manipulating the pH during fermentation in a 5 L bioreactor. At an aeration rate of 0.1 vvm with a stirrer speed of 300 rpm at constant pH 6, a specific PDC activity of 141 U/g dry cell weight (DCW) was achieved (average of two fermentations +/- 13%). By allowing the yeast to acidify the growth medium from pH 6 to 2.9, the final specific PDC activity increased by a factor of 2.7 to 385 U/g DCW (average from 4 fermentations +/- 16%). The effect of this pH drift on PDC production was confirmed by another experiment with a manual shift of pH from 6 to 3 by addition of 5 M sulfuric acid. The final PDC activity was 392 U/g DCW (average from two fermentations +/- 5%). However, experiments with constant pH of 6, 5, 4, or 3 resulted in average specific activities of only 102 to 141 U/g DCW, suggesting that a transitional pH change rather than the absolute pH value was responsible for the increased specific PDC activity. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.