Metabolic Engineering of Glycerol Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: A Comprehensive Review

Glycerol (propane-۱,۲,۳-triol) is a valuable trihydroxy alcohol widely used in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and chemical industries. Although most glycerol today is obtained as a by-product of biodiesel and soap production, direct microbial fermentation offers a sustainable alternative. This review focuses on the landmark study of Overkamp et al. (۲۰۰۲) published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, which achieved the highest glycerol titer ever reported in a genetically defined, food-grade Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain (>۲۱۹ g L⁻¹, yield ≈ ۰.۵۰ g g⁻¹ glucose). By combining deletion of triose-phosphate isomerase (TPI۱) with elimination of mitochondrial NADH and glycerol-۳-phosphate reoxidation systems (NDE۱, NDE۲, and GUT۲), the authors restored growth on glucose and redirected nearly all glycolytic carbon flux toward glycerol. The article integrates the original experimental data, biochemical rationale, strain construction details, fermentation results, and industrial context to provide a complete, self-contained review.

کلیدواژه ها:

Metabolic engineering ، glycerol overproduction ، Saccharomyces cerevisiae ، redox balance