Formaldehyde metabolic pathways in methylotroph and their applications in environmental biotechnology

Formaldehyde(HCHO) is a highly toxic one-carbon compound.Methylotroph is a kind of microorganisms,which can live in environments with high concentration of HCHO.Various HCHO-oxidation pathways and HCHO-assimilation pathways are found in methylotroph.Serine pathway and ribulose monophosphate pathway are two HCHO-assimilation pathways,which exist simultaneously in methylotrophic bacteria.Xylulose monophosphate pathway is a HCHO-assimilation pathway that is only present in methylotrophic yeasts.To sufficiently explore the potential application of methylotroph in environmental biotechnology,many studies attempted to develop methods and technologies for detection and remediation of HCHO pollution by using cells and key enzymes involved in HCHO-metabolisms of methylotroph.This paper reviewed the recent research progresses in these fields.