Host-Specific Metabolic Engineering for Microbial Production of Fucosyllactoses.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Biotechnology, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 2Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- 3Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 4Carbohydrate Bioproduct Research Center, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 5School of Biopharmaceutical and Medical Sciences, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a diverse group of bioactive glycans that play important roles in infant health by modulating the gut microbiota, inhibiting pathogen adhesion, and promoting immune development. Among them, 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL) have attracted considerable attention owing to their established health benefits and increasing applications in infant formula and functional foods. Microbial biosynthesis has emerged as a sustainable and scalable alternative to chemical synthesis and enzymatic production. This review summarizes recent advances in microbial FL production using Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Yarrowia lipolytica, with emphasis on host-specific metabolic engineering strategies. Key engineering approaches, including GDP-L-fucose biosynthesis, lactose uptake, fucosyltransferase (FT) optimization, transporter engineering, and fermentation process development, are systematically discussed and compared across microbial hosts. The review highlights the distinct advantages and limitations of bacterial and yeast platforms, including product secretion, intracellular FL accumulation, carbon flux distribution, and redox balance. Finally, current bottlenecks and future engineering opportunities are discussed, including transporter optimization, host-specific metabolic regulation, and industrial process development. These advances provide valuable insights into the development of efficient, safe, and economically viable microbial cell factories for the sustainable production of FL and other fucosylated HMOs.
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BibTeX
@article{kim2026hostspecific,
title = {{Host-Specific Metabolic Engineering for Microbial Production of Fucosyllactoses.}},
author = {Bo Min Kim and You Jin Jang and Hee Yeon Song and Suk-Chae Jung and Jonghyeok Shin and Jae Won Lee},
journal = {Journal of microbiology and biotechnology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.4014/jmb.2608.08032},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42954021},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Host-Specific Metabolic Engineering for Microbial Production of Fucosyllactoses.
AU - Bo Min Kim
AU - You Jin Jang
AU - Hee Yeon Song
AU - Suk-Chae Jung
AU - Jonghyeok Shin
AU - Jae Won Lee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - Journal of microbiology and biotechnology
DO - 10.4014/jmb.2608.08032
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42954021
AB - Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a diverse group of bioactive glycans that play important roles in infant health by modulating the gut microbiota, inhibiting pathogen adhesion, and promoting immune development. Among them, 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL) have attracted considerable attention owing to their established health benefits and increasing applications in infant formula and functional foods. Microbial biosynthesis has emerged as a sustainable and scalable alternative to chemical synthesis and enzymatic production. This review summarizes recent advances in microbial FL production using Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Yarrowia lipolytica, with emphasis on host-specific metabolic engineering strategies. Key engineering approaches, including GDP-L-fucose biosynthesis, lactose uptake, fucosyltransferase (FT) optimization, transporter engineering, and fermentation process development, are systematically discussed and compared across microbial hosts. The review highlights the distinct advantages and limitations of bacterial and yeast platforms, including product secretion, intracellular FL accumulation, carbon flux distribution, and redox balance. Finally, current bottlenecks and future engineering opportunities are discussed, including transporter optimization, host-specific metabolic regulation, and industrial process development. These advances provide valuable insights into the development of efficient, safe, and economically viable microbial cell factories for the sustainable production of FL and other fucosylated HMOs.
SN - 1017-7825
SN - 1738-8872
ER -