Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to exert various potential physiological properties including anti-carcinogenic, anti-obesity, anti-cardiovascular and anti-diabetic activities, and consequently has been considered as a promising food supplement. Bacterial biosynthesis of CLA is an attractive approach for commercial production due to its high isomer-selectivity and convenient purification process. Many bacterial species have been reported to convert free linoleic acid (LA) to CLA, hitherto only the precise CLA-producing mechanisms in Propionibacterium acnes and Lactobacillus plantarum have been illustrated completely, prompting the development of recombinant technology used in CLA production. The purpose of the article is to review the bacterial CLA producers as well as the recent progress on describing the mechanism of microbial CLA-production. Furthermore, the advances and potential in the heterologous expression of CLA genetic determinants will be presented.

共轭亚油酸（CLA）已显示出各种潜在的生理特性，包括抗癌，抗肥胖，抗心血管和抗糖尿病活性，因此被认为是有前途的食品补充剂。CLA的细菌生物合成因其高的异构体选择性和便捷的纯化工艺而成为商业化生产的诱人方法。据报道，许多细菌物种将游离亚油酸（LA）转化为CLA，迄今为止，只有痤疮丙酸杆菌和植物乳杆菌中精确的CLA产生机制。完整地说明了这一点，促进了CLA生产中使用的重组技术的发展。本文的目的是回顾细菌CLA的产生者，以及描述微生物CLA产生机理的最新进展。此外，将介绍CLA遗传决定簇异源表达的进展和潜力。