Abstract: Microbial metabolic engineering has seen wide application in synthetic biology and the extraction of naturally occurring phytochemicals. Anthocyanins, a class of water-soluble natural pigments, are primarily responsible for the coloration of terrestrial plants and fruits, and are widely used in the food and cosmetic industries. At present, anthocyanins are mainly extracted from plant materials, being characterized by low product purity and unstable nature. Therefore, microbial metabolic engineering is a significant alternative to the traditional extraction method to produce anthocyanins. Here, we review recent progress in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins using engineered bacteria with respect to enzyme selection, transportation regulation, regulation of uridine-5’-diphosphate glucose supply, and process optimization. Understanding of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway will provide important information for the industrialization of microbial anthocyanin production.

Key words: anthocyanins, microbial metabolism, enzyme engineering, metabolic engineering