In this study, gene YALI0F01650g has been isolated and characterized. Several experimental evidences suggest that the identified gene, renamed EYD1, encodes an erythritol dehydrogenase. An efficient bioreactor process for the bioconversion of erythritol into erythrulose was also developed. Using constitutive expression of EYD1 in a Y. lipolytica mutant containing a disrupted EYK1 gene, which encodes erythrulose kinase, erythrulose could be synthesized from erythritol at a rate of 0.116 g/g(DCW). h and with a bioconversion yield of 0.64 g/g.