Journal Article

Advances in fungal sugar transporters: unlocking the potential of second-generation bioethanol production

Pereira, Lucas Matheus Soares, Taveira, Iasmin Cartaxo, de Paula, Renato Graciano, Maués, David Batista, Silva, Roberto N.

2025

Overview

Second-generation (2G) bioethanol production, derived from lignocellulosic biomass, has emerged as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels by addressing growing energy demands and environmental concerns. Fungal sugar transporters (STs) play a critical role in this process, enabling the uptake of monosaccharides such as glucose and xylose, which are released during the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass. This mini-review explores recent advances in the structural and functional characterization of STs in filamentous fungi and yeasts, highlighting their roles in processes such as cellulase induction, carbon catabolite repression, and sugar signaling pathways. The review also emphasizes the potential of genetic engineering to enhance the specificity and efficiency of these transporters, overcoming challenges such as substrate competition and limited pentose metabolism in industrial strains. By integrating the latest research findings, this work underscores the pivotal role of fungal STs in optimizing lignocellulosic bioethanol production and advancing the bioeconomy. Future prospects for engineering transport systems and their implications for industrial biotechnology are also discussed. Key points STs present a conserved structure with different sugar affinities STs are involved in the signaling and transport of sugars derived from plant biomass Genetic engineering of STs can improve 2G bioethanol production

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V,Springer
• Subject: bioeconomics / Biofuels / Biomass / Biomass energy production / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biotechnology / Carbohydrate Metabolism / Catabolite repression / Cellulase / endo-1,4-beta-glucanase / energy / enzymatic hydrolysis / Ethanol / Ethanol - metabolism / ethanol production / Filamentous fungi and yeasts / Fossil fuels / Fungal Proteins - genetics / Fungal Proteins - metabolism / Fungal sugar transporters / Fungi / Fungi - genetics / Fungi - metabolism / Genetic Engineering / glucose / Glucose - metabolism / Industrial strains / Life Sciences / Lignin - metabolism / Lignocellulose / Lignocellulosic biomass / Membrane Transport Proteins - genetics / Membrane Transport Proteins - metabolism / Metabolic Engineering / Microbial Genetics and Genomics / Microbiology / Mini-Review / Monosaccharides / Pentose / pentoses / phytomass / Plant biomass / Second-generation bioethanol / Structural analysis / Structure-function relationships / Sugar / Transportation systems / xylose / Xylose - metabolism / Yeast