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Microbial production and applications of 5-aminolevulinic acid

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Abstract

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), an important intermediate in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis in organisms, has been widely applied in many fields, such as medicine, agriculture, and the food industry, due to its biochemical characteristics. Research efforts supporting the microbial production of ALA have received increasing interest due to its dominant advantages over chemical synthesis, including higher yields, lesser pollutant emissions, and a lesser monetary cost. ALA synthesis using photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) is a promising approach in various microbial synthesis methods. In this review, recent advances on the microbial production of ALA with an emphasis on PSB are summarized, the key enzymes in the biosynthesis pathway (especially the relationship between key enzymes and key genes) are detailed, regulation strategies are described, and the significant influencing factors on the ALA biosynthesis and application of ALA are outlined. Furthermore, the eco-friendly perspective involving the combination of wastewater treatment and microbial production of ALA is conceived.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51278489).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Huanghe Road 73, Nangang District, Harbin, 150090, Heilongjiang Province, China

    Shuli Liu, Guangming Zhang, Xiangkun Li & Jie Zhang

  2. School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, 100872, Beijing, China

    Guangming Zhang

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  1. Shuli Liu
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  2. Guangming Zhang
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  3. Xiangkun Li
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  4. Jie Zhang
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Correspondence to Guangming Zhang.

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Liu, S., Zhang, G., Li, X. et al. Microbial production and applications of 5-aminolevulinic acid. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98, 7349–7357 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-5925-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-5925-y

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