CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 11;40(2):68. doi: 10.1007/s11274-024-03885-4.
1,2,4-butanetriol (BT) is a polyol with unique chemical properties, which has a stereocenter and can be divided into D-BT (the S-enantiomer) and L-BT (the R-enantiomer). BT can be used for the synthesis of 1,2,4-butanetriol trinitrate, 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran, polyurethane, and other chemicals. It is widely used in the military industry, medicine, tobacco, polymer. At present, the BT is mainly synthesized by chemical methods, which are accompanied by harsh reaction conditions, poor selectivity, many by-products, and environmental pollution. Therefore, BT biosynthesis methods with the advantages of mild reaction conditions and green sustainability have become a current research hotspot. In this paper, the research status of microbial synthesis of BT was summarized from the following three aspects: (1) the biosynthetic pathway establishment for BT from xylose; (2) metabolic engineering strategies employed for improving BT production from xylose; (3) other substrates for BT production. Finally, the challenges and prospects of biosynthetic BT were discussed for future methods to improve competitiveness for industrial production.
1,2,4-丁三醇（BT）是一种具有独特化学性质的多元醇，它具有手性中心，可分为 D-BT（S-对映体）和 L-BT（R-对映体）。BT 可用于合成 1,2,4-丁三醇三硝酸酯、3-羟基四氢呋喃、聚氨酯等化学品。它广泛应用于军工、医药、烟草、高分子等领域。目前，BT 主要通过化学方法合成，该方法存在反应条件苛刻、选择性差、副产物多、环境污染等问题。因此，具有反应条件温和、绿色可持续性等优点的 BT 生物合成方法已成为当前的研究热点。本文从以下三个方面综述了微生物从木糖合成 BT 的研究现状：（1）建立从木糖生物合成 BT 的途径；（2）利用代谢工程策略提高木糖生产 BT 的产量；（3）利用其他底物生产 BT。最后，对生物合成 BT 的挑战和前景进行了讨论，以期为未来提高工业生产竞争力的方法提供参考。
