Recent advances and prospects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as microbial cell factories: from rational design to industrial applications

Abstract

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is one of the most characterized Gram-positive bacteria. This species has unique characteristics that are beneficial for industrial applications, including its utilization of: cheap carbon as a substrate, a transparent genetic background, and large-scale robustness in fermentation. Indeed, the productivity characteristics of B. amyloliquefaciens have been thoroughly analyzed and further optimized through systems biology and synthetic biology techniques. Following the analysis of multiple engineering design strategies, B. amyloliquefaciens is now considered an efficient cell factory capable of producing large quantities of multiple products from various raw materials. In this review, we discuss the significant potential advantages offered by B. amyloliquefaciens as a platform for metabolic engineering and industrial applications. In addition, we systematically summarize the recent laboratory research and industrial application of B. amyloliquefaciens, including: relevant advances in systems and synthetic biology, various strategies adopted to improve the cellular performances of synthetic chemicals, as well as the latest progress in the synthesis of certain important products by B. amyloliquefaciens. Finally, we propose the current challenges and essential strategies to usher in an era of broader B. amyloliquefaciens use as microbial cell factories.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
• microbial cell factory
• metabolic engineering
• synthetic biology
• industrial applications
• modular engineering
• cofactor engineering
• transporter engineering
• direct evolution
• dynamic regulation strategies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China under grant 2021YFC2101700; National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant 22108122, and 22178171; Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province under grant BK20200692; Jiangsu Agriculture Science and Technology Innovation Fund (JASTIF) under grant CX(20)3049; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under grant 2020M671466 and 2021M690191; Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China under grant 20KJB530016;, and Jiangsu Postdoctoral Research Foundation under grant 2020Z115.