l-arginine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum: manipulation and optimization of the metabolic process

Abstract

As an important semi-essential amino acid, l-arginine is extensively used in the food and pharmaceutical fields. At present, l-arginine production depends on cost-effective, green, and sustainable microbial fermentation by using a renewable carbon source. To enhance its fermentative production, various metabolic engineering strategies have been employed, which provide valid paths for reducing the cost of l-arginine production. This review summarizes recent advances in molecular biology strategies for the optimization of l-arginine-producing strains, including manipulating the principal metabolic pathway, modulating the carbon metabolic pathway, improving the intracellular biosynthesis of cofactors and energy usage, manipulating the assimilation of ammonia, improving the transportation and membrane permeability, and performing biosensor-assisted high throughput screening, providing useful insight into the current state of l-arginine production.

Keywords:

• l-arginine
• Corynebacterium glutamicum
• molecular breeding
• metabolic engineering
• fermentation

Acknowledgments

We thank Editage (www.editage.cn) for providing English editing.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 36000057] and Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation [No. 20202BAB213023] and Jiangxi Key R&D Program [No. 20171ACF60006].