Aerobic Acetobacter pasteurianus is one of the most widely used bacterial species for acetic acid and vinegar production. The acetic acid condition is the primary challenge to the industrial application of A. pasteurianus. Thus, numerous endeavors, including strain improvement and process control, have been performed to improve the product formation and acetic acid tolerance of A. pasteurianus. The metabolic features of A. pasteurianus have been gradually elucidated through omic techniques, such as genomics and proteomics. In this mini review, we summarized bioprocess engineering methods that improved product formation of A. pasteurianus by exploiting its metabolic features. Moreover, given that A. pasteurianus is an important functional microorganism in traditional vinegar production, we discuss its metabolism when cocultured with other microorganisms in traditional vinegar production.
Keywords: Acetic acid; Acetic acid tolerance; Acetobacter pasteurianus; Ethanol respiratory chain; Vinegar.