Succinate is one of the most important bio-based building block chemical
because of its numerous potential applications. However, efficient
production of succinate from lignocellulosic feedstock is rarely reported. A
study conducted by Yufeng Mao, Guiying Li, and Zhishuai Chang of Tianjin
University in China aimed to engineer Corynebacterium glutamicum to
efficiently produce succinate from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.

The team first expressed xylA and xylB genes from Xanthomonas campestris in
C. glutamicum strain SAZ3 to accelerate xylose consumption and cell growth.
Several other genes were also expressed in SAZ3 to achieve succinate
production from xylose.

Xylose utilization and succinate production of SAZ3 were further improved by
overexpressing SAZ3's tkt and tal genes as well as introducing the araE gene
from Bacillus subtilis. The resulting strain, termed C. glutamicum CGS5,
showed an excellent ability to produce succinate by consuming a
glucose-xylose mixture under anaerobic conditions.

This work introduces an efficient process for the bioconversion of biomass
into succinate using a thoroughly engineered strain of C. glutamicum. This
microorganism could be a promising platform for succinate production from
lignocellulosic feedstock.



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