Microbial production of aromatic compounds and synthesis of high-performance bioplastics

ABSTRACT Microbial fermentation has provided fermented foods and important chemicals such as antibiotics, amino acids, and vitamins. Metabolic engineering of synthetic microbes has expanded the range of compounds produced by fermentation. Petroleum-derived aromatic compounds are widely used in industry as raw materials for pharmaceuticals, dyes, and polymers and are in great demand. This review highlights the current efforts in the microbial production of various aromatic chemicals such as aromatic amines, cinnamic acid derivatives, and flavoring aromatics, including their biosynthesis pathways. In addition, the unique biosynthetic mechanism of pyrazine, a heterocyclic compound, from amino acids is described to expand the use of biomass-derived aromatic compounds. I also discuss our efforts to develop high-performance bioplastics superior to petroleum plastics from the aromatic compounds produced by microbial fermentation.