Progress in L-Malic Acid Biosynthesis

L-malate, an important organic acid in the process of metabolism, is greatly beneficial to human health owning to its diverse biological functions. In recent years, the advantages of microbial fermentation for producing L-malic acid by are gradually emerging. The metabolic pathway of L-malic acid has been clarified and many related genes have been cloned. Therefore, the development of genetic engineering technologies has made it possible to improve the biosynthesis of L-malic acid. In this paper, the recent progress in the biosynthesis pathway of L-malic acid and the cloning of the genes encoding key enzymes involved in L-malic acid biosynthesis in microorganisms is reviewed, and the latest research on malic acidproducing strains is summarized. At last, we propose further directions and prospects in the construction of genetically engineered strains for malic acid biosynthesis.