Advances in biotechnological production of β-alanine

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 37; no. 5; p. 79
• Main Authors: Wang, Leilei, Mao, Yufeng, Wang, Zhiwen, Ma, Hongwu, Chen, Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.05.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alanine; Amino acids; Animal metabolism; Applied Microbiology; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Depletion; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Fossil fuels; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Review; Enzyme-catalyzed methods; Fermentation methods; Biological methods; Whole-cell catalytic methods; β-Alanine
• ISSN: 0959-3993; 1573-0972
• DOI: 10.1007/s11274-021-03042-1

β-Alanine (3-aminopropionic acid) is the only naturally occurring β-type amino acid. Although it is not incorporated into proteins, it has important physiological functions in the metabolism of animals, plants and microorganisms. Furthermore, it has attracted great interest due to its wide usage as a precursor of many significant industrial chemicals for medicine, feed, food, environmental applications and other fields. With the depletion of fossil fuels and concerns regarding environmental issues, biological production of β-alanine has attracted more attention relative to chemical methods. In this review, we first summarize the pathways through which natural microorganisms synthesize β-alanine. Then, the current research progress in the biological synthesis of β-alanine is also elaborated. Finally, we discuss the main problems and challenges in optimizing the biological pathways, offering perspectives on promising new biological approaches.