Cellular versus biochemical control over microbial products

Abstract

The development of metabolic and genetic engineering promotes the progress in obtaining modified microbial strains for the improvement of the processes and an increase in the yields of the final products through cellular and biochemical control. This chapter summarizes the application and cellular and biochemical control of Escherichia coli strains for efficient production of an array of platform chemicals. However, E. coli cannot naturally metabolize glycerol to 3-hydroxy-propionic acid as it lacks the enzyme glycerol dehydratase (dhaB) and the negligible expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase (aldH) as both are key enzymes to obtaining this metabolite. The chapter demonstrates the possibility of efficient production of fumaric acid with genetically modified strains of E. coli. In general, the process of production of itaconic acid from fungi is relatively long. Conventional production of glucaric acid from glucose is associated with low yields and the production of toxic byproducts.