Organic acid transporters in microorganisms

Abstract:

Transporters are membrane proteins that mediate the transmembrane transport and signal exchange of chemicals inside and outside the biological membrane. Organic acid transporters play a key role in the transmembrane transport of microbial organic acid metabolism. They can be classified into uptake transporters and efflux transporters according to the different directions of organic acid transport. In microbial metabolism, some organic acids can directly participate in the metabolism as energy, and some are important intermediates in energy conversion. The overexpression of uptake transporters promotes the absorbance of energy substances and increases the yield of target products in microorganisms. The knockout of uptake transporters or the overexpression of efflux transporters contributes to the efflux of target products from chassis cells and thus promotes the biosynthesis of organic acids. Studying the structures and functions of organic acid transporters helps to decipher the mechanism of organic acid biosynthesis and utilization in microbial cells, which is of great significance for improving the utilization and biosynthesis of organic acids in industrial microorganisms. This paper introduces the classification, structures, transport modes, and transport functions of organic acid transporters in microorganisms and the application of these transporters in organic acid production. It provides references for the efficient biosynthesis and future development of organic acids in industrial microorganisms.