BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOPROCESS ENGINEERING, vol.29, pp.69-83, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
With a better understanding of the health benefits of β-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, as well as its coloring property,
the need for this carotenoid has increased in various sectors. In order to meet the increasing demand efficiently, cheaply,
and sustainably, interest in heterologous β-carotene production through metabolic engineering strategies has increased in
recent years. In this context, although it is not a native producer of β-carotene, Yarrowia lipolytica yeast stands out due to
its metabolic, physiological, and genomic properties. Successful results have been obtained by using a series of engineering
strategies, including biosynthesis pathway engineering, morphological engineering, and fermentation engineering strategies,
in the production of heterologous β-carotene from Y. lipolytica. However, these strategies have various strengths and weaknesses
against each other, and there are also some points open to improvement. In this review, the engineering strategies that
have been applied and have the potential to be applied for the production of β-carotene from Y. lipolytica have been examined
in depth, including their advantages and disadvantages, and compared with each other. Moreover, a future perspective has
been presented to increase the potential of using Y. lipolytica yeast as a cell factory in β-carotene production.