Streptococcus thermophilus: A next-generation chassis for customizing exopolysaccharide with rare sugar

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• * Streptococcus thermophilus is crucial in fermentation, producing exopolysaccharides (EPS) that improve dairy product texture and offer health benefits.
• * The properties of EPS are directly linked to their composition and structure.
• * Rare sugars can enhance the bioactivity and value of EPS.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To systematically review the composition, structure, and industrial applications of S. thermophilus EPS.
• * To explore the potential of S. thermophilus as a cell factory for producing customized EPS containing rare sugars.
• * To highlight advanced metabolic engineering strategies for synthesizing EPS with fucose, rhamnose, and uronic acids.

Main Methods:

• * Comprehensive literature review on S. thermophilus EPS.
• * Analysis of S. thermophilus' genetic characteristics for EPS synthesis.
• * Examination of metabolic engineering approaches for rare sugar incorporation.

Main Results:

• * S. thermophilus possesses key attributes (safety, genetic tractability, natural competence) making it suitable for EPS customization.
• * Advanced metabolic engineering can enable or enhance the synthesis of EPS containing specific rare sugars like fucose, rhamnose, and uronic acids.
• * Customized EPS exhibit unique bioactivities and higher value.

Conclusions:

• * S. thermophilus is a promising next-generation cell factory for producing tailored EPS.
• * Engineered EPS have significant potential for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
• * Further research into metabolic engineering strategies will unlock novel EPS functionalities.