Corynebacterium glutamicum (C. glutamicum) is a highly promising alternative prokaryotic host for recombinant protein expression, as it possesses several significant advantages over Escherichia coli (E. coli), the currently leading bacterial protein expression system. During the past decades, several experimental techniques and vector components for genetic manipulation of C. glutamicum have been developed and validated, including strong promoters for tightly regulating target gene expression, various types of plasmid vectors, protein secretion systems and methods of genetically modifying the host strain genome to improve protein production potential. This review critically discusses current progress in establishing C. glutamicum as a host for recombinant protein expression, and examines, in depth, some successful case studies of actual application of this expression system. The established "expression tool box" for developing novel constructs based on C. glutamicum as a host are also evaluated. Finally, the existing issues and solutions in process development with C. glutamicum as a host are specifically addressed.
Keywords: Corynebacterium glutamicum; genetic alteration of strain; heterologous genes; plasmids; promoters; protein secretion pathways.