Bioethanol has been considered as a potentially renewable energy source, and metabolic engineering plays an important role in the production of biofuels. As an efficient ethanol-producing bacterium, Zymomonas mobilis has garnered special attention due to its high sugar uptake, ethanol yield, and tolerance. Different metabolic engineering strategies have been used to establish new metabolic pathways for Z. mobilis to broaden its substrate range, remove competing pathways, and enhance its tolerance to ethanol and lignocellulosic hydrolysate inhibitors. Recent advances in omics technology, computational modeling and simulation, system biology, and synthetic biology contribute to the efficient re-design and manipulation of microbes via metabolic engineering at the whole-cell level. In this review, we summarize the progress of some new technologies used for metabolic engineering to improve bioethanol production and tolerance in Z. mobilis. Some successful examples of metabolic engineering used to develop strains for ethanol production are described in detail. Lastly, some important strategies for future metabolic engineering efforts are also highlighted.
Keywords: Bioethanol; Inhibitor; Lignocellulosic hydrolysates; Metabolic engineering; Zymomonas mobilis.