Unraveling the biosynthesis and regulation mechanism of bacterial cellulose: Challenges and strategies toward industrial production

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an extracellular polysaccharide produced by bacteria with unique structure and mechanical properties, which has been widely applied in various fields, such as biomedicine, food, textiles, and papermaking. To better understand the BC synthesis process by microbes, the reported wild and model strains for BC production are summarized. Understanding the biosynthetic pathway of BC is essential for elucidating its regulatory mechanisms, and it is a prerequisite for a deeper understanding of BC production. Therefore, based on the conclusion of the commonly reported BC synthesis process, the diversity of bacterial cellulose synthase (Bcs) subunits and their roles in BC synthesis are emphatically introduced. Additionally, the regulatory mechanisms in BC synthesis were also introduced, including energy regulation, regulation of c-di-GMP, and quorum sensing (QS) regulation. Finally, various strategies were also proposed, aiming to provide the references for addressing the common problems encountered in the BC synthesis process and application, such as low and unstable production capacity, the high production costs etc. Furthermore, BC can be further functionalized through microbial consortia fermentation, modification, and even by combining 3D printing and electrospinning technologies to broaden its range of applications.