Bio-based succinate is still a matter of special emphasis in biotechnology and adjacent research areas. The vast majority of natural and engineered producers are bacterial strains that accumulate succinate under anaerobic conditions. Recently, we succeeded in obtaining an aerobic yeast strain capable of producing succinic acid at low pH. Herein, we discuss some difficulties and advantages of microbial pathways producing “succinic acid” rather than “succinate”. It was concluded that the peculiar properties of the constructed yeast strain could be clarified in view of a distorted energy balance. There is evidence that in an acidic environment, the majority of the cellular energy available as ATP will be spent for proton and anion efflux. The decreased ATP:ADP ratio could essentially reduce the growth rate or even completely inhibit growth. In the same way, the preference of this elaborated strain for certain carbon sources could be explained in terms of energy balance. Nevertheless, the opportunity to exclude alkali and mineral acid waste from microbial succinate production seems environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

The modification of Escherichia coli K-12 metabolism leading to threonine overproduction is the most studied system in synthetic biology that has been used to elaborate the majority of the currently known approaches to constructing microbial producers. They include optimization of biosynthesis through search for rate-limiting stages, modification of substrate and product transport, elimination of side metabolic pathways and degradation systems, reinforcement of the regeneration of coenzymes that are required for product biosynthesis, and exclusion of futile cycles and metabolic pathways with low energy efficiency. Extensive research in functional genomics made it possible to selectively remove the “unnecessary genes,” the functions of which are useless for producing a strain or adversely affect its properties. In total, using various approaches to designing threonine-producing strains, over 150 genome loci that affect more than 30% genes in E. coli were directly modified, thus providing interesting data for researchers in the field of microbial synthesis, as well as in related biological sciences. This review is dedicated to the assessment of genetic engineering modifications in E. coli metabolism (primarily, on the basis of modern patent literature) that ensure threonine overproduction.