In order to provide technical information necessary for the production of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) by utilizing genetic engineering techniques, the structural gene for PAL and the amino acid sequence of PAL have been elucidated in Rhodosporidium toruloides, and novel recombinant DNA plasmids (e.g., pSW101, pYtrp6 and pKY201) have been created by inserting a DNA strand coding for the PAL gene between the 3′-terminus of the promoter region and the 5′-terminus of the terminator region. Moreover, transformants having such a novel recombinant DNA plasmid have been created, and a process for the production of PAL by growing such a novel transformant so as to cause PAL to be produced and accumulated in the culture has been established. Furthermore, there has been established a novel technique for the production of L-phenylalanine by reacting an ammonia donor with cinnamic acid in the presence of the PAL prepared by the aforesaid novel process.