Itaconic Acid Production by Microorganisms: A Review

Itaconic acid $(C_5 H_6 O_4)$ is an organic acid with unique structure and characteristics. In order to promote the bio-based economy, the US-Department of Energy (DOE) assigned a “top-12” of platform chemicals, which include numerous of organic acids. In particular di-carboxylic acids, like itaconic acid, can be used as monomers for bio-polymers. Thus the need to produce itaconic acid attracts much attention. The favored production process is fermentation of carbohydrates by fungi and Aspergillus terreus is the mostly frequently employed commercial producer of itaconic acid. This review reports the current status of use of microorganisms in enhancing productivity.