Microbial hexuronate catabolism in biotechnology

The most abundant hexuronate in plant biomass is d-galacturonate. d-Galacturonate is the main constituent of pectin. Pectin-rich biomass is abundantly available as sugar beet pulp or citrus processing waste and is currently mainly used as cattle feed. Other naturally occurring hexuronates are d-glucuronate, l-guluronate, d-mannuronate and l-iduronate. d-Glucuronate is a constituent of the plant cell wall polysaccharide glucuronoxylan and of the algal polysaccharide ulvan. Ulvan also contains l-iduronate. l-Guluronate and d-mannuronate are the monomers of alginate. These raw materials have the potential to be used as raw material in biotechnology-based production of fuels or chemicals. In this communication, we will review the microbial pathways related to these hexuronates and their potential use in biotechnology.