Abstract:

As　a type of biosurfactant， mannosylerythritol lipids （MELs） have merits with biodegradability， low toxicity and good biocompatibility. Due to its distinct structural， metabolic， and synthetic features， it also performs a wide range of other tasks， including skin restoration， gene transfection， and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. MELs has a promising future in a number of industries， including medicine， daily chemicals， food， agriculture， and ecological restoration， which is widely recognized as one of the most promising biosurfactants. However， because of the great structural heterogeneity， backward manufacturing style of MELs generated by various species， hazy synthesis and uncertain mechanism of action， it is hard to carry out large-scale commercial production. The paper aimed to clarify the diversity of its structure and function， so as to provide reference for the realization of customized production targeting MELs. By focusing on the aspects of structural characteristics， production purification， application path and so on， the paper was hoped to help reduce the production cost and accelerate the realization of its large-scale application.

Key words: mannosylerythritol lipids, bio-surfactants, microorganism

摘要：

甘露糖赤藓糖醇脂（mannosylerythritol lipids, MELs）是一种生物表面活性剂，除具有可降解、毒性低、生物兼容性好等优点，还因其特有的代谢、合成途径与结构特性，而具有基因转染、广谱抗菌、皮肤修复等多种功能。MELs在医疗、日化、食品、农业、生态修复等各领域应用前景巨大，被公认为是现今最有潜力的生物表面活性剂。然而，不同种属所生产的MELs之间结构差异性大且生产方式较落后，合成与作用机制尚不清晰，因而无法实现规模商业化生产。从结构特性、生产纯化、应用途径等方面重点阐述了MELs相关研究进展，以期阐明其结构与功能的多样性，为实现靶向MELs的定制生产，降低生产成本，加快实现其规模化应用提供参考。

关键词: 甘露糖赤藓糖醇脂, 生物表面活性剂, 微生物