Recent Advances in Microbial Production of Aromatic Chemicals and Derivatives. Issue 8 (August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Noda, Shuhei; Kondo, Akihiko
• Is Part Of: Trends in biotechnology. Volume 35:Issue 8(2017)
• Page Start: 785
• Page End: 796
• Publication Date: 2017-08
• Subjects: aromatic chemicals -- bioproduction -- chorismate derivatives -- microorganism; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; Biochemical engineering -- Periodicals; Genetic engineering -- Periodicals; Industrial microbiology -- Periodicals; 660.605
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.05.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0167-7799

Abstract

Abstract : Along with the development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology tools, various microbes are being used to produce aromatic chemicals. In microbes, aromatics are mainly produced via a common important precursor, chorismate, in the shikimate pathway. Natural or non-natural aromatics have been produced by engineering metabolic pathways involving chorismate. In the past decade, novel approaches have appeared to produce various aromatics or to increase their productivity, whereas previously, the targets were mainly aromatic amino acids and the strategy was deregulating feedback inhibition. In this review, we summarize recent studies of microbial production of aromatics based on metabolic engineering approaches. In addition, future perspectives and challenges in this research area are discussed. Trends: With the recent shale oil revolution, the raw material costs of fuel and chemicals with low carbon numbers, such as methane, propanol, and butanol, are expected to decrease. Therefore, the demand for fuel and chemical raw materials with more complex structures, such as aromatic compounds, is expected to rise. Developments in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have enabled us to produce a variety of aromatic chemicals as well as aromatic amino acids, which have traditionally been studied to expand productivity. Modified microorganisms producing value-added aromatic chemicals usually occurring in plants have been created by extending the biosynthesis pathways of aromatic amino acids. To produce aromatic chemicals at industrial scale, multiple laboratories are attempting to produce these chemicals using various types of microbes, for example, Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Corynebacterium glutamicum .