Microbial Production of Dicarboxylates: Succinic Acid, Malic Acid, and Itaconic Acid

To establish a bio-based economy, suitable biomass-derived platform chemicals have to be identified, which can be an alternative for their petroleum-based counterparts. Various dicarboxylic acids originating from the central metabolism are of particular interest to serve as drop-in or platform chemicals. They can either be used directly or be chemically converted into other high-value compounds for the polymer, food, or pharmaceutical industries. Thus, the (cost-)efficient conversion of lignocellulose into dicarboxylic acids is an important step. Here, we provide an overview of different biotechnological processes for the production of the three dicarboxylic acids succinate, malate, and itaconate, including the metabolic and genetic requirements of the hosts and different process parameters at laboratory and industrial scale.