The present invention relates to a Variovorax sp. which produces an acylase having an asymmetric hydrolysis activity on an N-acetyl .beta.-amino acid to selectively produce an R-.beta.-amino acid, and a Burkholderia sp. which produces both an acylase having an asymmetric hydrolysis activity on an N-acetyl .beta.-amino acid to selectively produce an S-.beta.-amino acid and an acylase having an asymmetric hydrolysis activity of an N-acetyl .beta.-amino acid to selectively produce an R-.beta.-amino acid, and a process for the selective production of an S-, or R-.beta.-amino acid using the above strains.