Esterase that can hydrolyze the side chain of lovastatin to produce monacolin J (PubMed:28619444, PubMed:31839596). Is also able to hydrolyze the side chains of mevastatin and pravastatin, but not simvastatin (PubMed:28619444). H2O + lovastatin = (S)-2-methylbutanoate + H(+) + monacolin J H2O + pravastatin lactone = (S)-2-methylbutanoate + H(+) + pravastatin diol lactone H2O + mevastatin = (S)-2-methylbutanoate + compactin diol lactone + H(+) PcEST can be used to directly produce monacolin J through single-step fermentation, which would be easily applied to industrial production with the existing equipment and fermentation process of lovastatin production and beneficial for the current simvastatin industry and hypercholesterolemia market. Belongs to the class-A beta-lactamase family.