Advances in biotechnological production of β-alanine

beta-Alanine (3-aminopropionic acid) is the only naturally occurring beta-type amino acid. Although it is not incorporated into proteins, it has important physiological functions in the metabolism of animals, plants and microorganisms. Furthermore, it has attracted great interest due to its wide usage as a precursor of many significant industrial chemicals for medicine, feed, food, environmental applications and other fields. With the depletion of fossil fuels and concerns regarding environmental issues, biological production of beta-alanine has attracted more attention relative to chemical methods. In this review, we first summarize the pathways through which natural microorganisms synthesize beta-alanine. Then, the current research progress in the biological synthesis of beta-alanine is also elaborated. Finally, we discuss the main problems and challenges in optimizing the biological pathways, offering perspectives on promising new biological approaches.

Automated summary

Beta-alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid with important physiological functions, despite not being incorporated into proteins. Its biological production is gaining more attention due to its wide industrial applications and environmental concerns. Research progress in natural microorganism synthesis and optimization of biological pathways offers promising new approaches.