Bioproduction of fumaric acid: an insight into microbial strain improvement strategies

AbstractFumaric acid (FA), a metabolic intermediate, has been identified as an important carbohydrate derived platform chemical. Currently, it is commercially sourced from petrochemicals by chemical conversion. The shift to biochemical synthesis has become essential for sustainable development and for the transition to a biobased economy from a petroleum-based economy. The main limitation is that the concentrations of FA achieved during bioproduction are lower than that from a chemical process. Moreover, the high cost associated with bioproduction necessitates a higher yield to improve the feasibility of the process. To this effect, genetic modification of microorganism can be considered as an important tool to improve FA yield. This review discusses various genetic modifications strategies that have been studied in order to improve FA production. These strategies include the development of recombinant strains of Rhizopus oryzae, Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Torulopsis glabrata as well ...