The present invention relates to an alcohol dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus erythropolis. By means of such cofactor-dependent ADHs, chiral alcohols, which can be of use for use in organic syntheses, can advantageously be obtained with a cofactor-regenerating enzyme in a coupled enzymatic system. A nucleotide sequence, vehicles containing this, a polypeptide sequence and processes for mutation and use of the sequences are claimed.