The pentose phosphate pathway in industrially relevant fungi: crucial insights for bioprocessing

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is one of the most targeted pathways in metabolic engineering. This pathway is the primary source of NADPH, and it contributes in fungi to the production of many compounds of interest such as polyols, biofuels, carotenoids, or antibiotics. However, the regulatory mechanisms of the PPP are still not fully known. This review provides an insight into the current comprehension of the PPP in fungi and the limitations of this current understanding. It highlights how this knowledge contributes to targeted engineering of the PPP and thus to better performance of industrially used fungal strains. KEY POINTS: • Type of carbon and nitrogen source as well as oxidative stress influence the PPP. • A complex network of transcription factors regulates the PPP. • Improved understanding of the PPP will allow to increase yields of bioprocesses.