title: Microbial production of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine: advances and perspectives.
abstract: Glucosamine (GlcN), an amino sugar, is a compound derived from substitution of a hydroxyl group of a glucose molecule with an amino group. GlcN and its acetylated derivative, N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), have been widely used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries and are currently produced by acid hydrolysis of chitin (a linear polymer of GlcNAc) extracted from crab and shrimp shells. Microbial fermentation by filamentous fungi or recombinant Escherichia coli, as an alternative method for the production of GlcN and GlcNAc, is attracting increasing attention because it is an environmentally friendly process. Although the microbial production of GlcN and GlcNAc is hampered by low yield and high production cost, considerable advances have been made in recent years. Here we review the applications, commercial market, and production of GlcN and GlcNAc, with emphasis on the metabolic and process engineering strategies used to improve GlcN and GlcNAc production by recombinant microbes.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yanfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hyun-dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jianghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guocheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000639:trends*
chemical_list: D005944:Glucosamine; D000117:Acetylglucosamine