Itaconate itinerary changed: Now it’s a potential metabolite to switch-off inflammation!

Abstract

Itaconic acid is well known as a precursor for polymer synthesis and has been involved in industrial processes for decades. Itaconate was first identified in 1836 as a molecular product of citric acid distillation. In 1931, it was reported that itaconate could be synthesized in vivo by an Aspergillus species (subsequently named Aspergillus itaconcus) isolated from dried salted plums. This has spurred the development of emerging metabolic engineering strategies and process optimization technologies to enhance itaconic acid production. Today, itaconic acid has a huge world market and feeds into the preparation of industrial polymers and bioactive compounds in the personal care, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and medicine sectors.¹ Research into more efficient methods of biomanufacturing itaconate is extremely active, because it represents a sustainable alternative to traditional crude oil-based polymers.^{2, 3}