Engineering microorganisms for the biosynthesis of dicarboxylic acids

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Metabolic Engineering
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• Dicarboxylic acids (DCAs) are vital commodity chemicals with broad applications in polymers, food, and pharmaceuticals.
• Current chemical synthesis methods pose environmental and economic challenges.
• Biosynthesis from renewable resources presents a sustainable and promising alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in microbial synthesis of various dicarboxylic acids (DCAs).
• To categorize DCA biosynthesis pathways.
• To highlight metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies for enhancing production efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of DCAs into three groups: tricarboxylic acid cycle-derived, lysine metabolism-related, and aromatic compounds degradation-derived.
• Detailed discussion of metabolic engineering strategies including metabolic flux analysis, gene expression fine-tuning, cofactor balancing, metabolic compartmentalization, dynamic regulation, and co-culture systems.
• Analysis of synthetic biology approaches for optimizing DCA production.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made in constructing recombinant strains for DCA production.
• Various metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies have demonstrated effectiveness in improving production efficiency.
• The review categorizes and analyzes diverse microbial DCA production pathways.

Conclusions:

• Microbial biosynthesis is a viable and sustainable approach for producing industrially important dicarboxylic acids.
• Advanced metabolic engineering and synthetic biology techniques are crucial for optimizing DCA yields and efficiency.
• Further research into current challenges and future perspectives is essential for advancing the field.