Metabolic Engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica for Efficient Production of Terpenoids

Yarrowia lipolytica is an unconventional oleaginous yeast with special physiological characteristics. Due to its high flux of acetyl-CoA, extensive substrate spectra, clear gene sequences, and mature genetic modification tools, it has received widespread attention as a chassis strain for the production of various compounds. In this Perspective, we summarize the biosynthetic pathway of terpenoids. The advantages and application prospects of using Y. lipolytica as chassis to produce natural products are introduced. Strategies to further improve the metabolite production efficiency are also discussed, which will provide references and guidance for further expanding application of Y. lipolytica. At present, Y. lipolytica is used to produce a variety of biochemicals. With the development of synthetic biology, the transformation tools of Y. lipolytica can be developed in the future to improve expression capability. It can not only simplify the operation process, but also promote the production yield.