Microbial production of succinic acid from renewable feedstock is of great importance for sustainable development owing to its great economic and technical potential. However, to be competitive with the chemical production route, efforts are still needed to enhance the production performance, especially by strain development targeting high succinic acid concentration, yield, and productivity, as well as broad carbon source utilization. In this mini-review, the performance of four promising succinic acid-producing microorganisms, including Actinobacillus succinogenes, Basfia succiniciproducens, Escherichia coli, and Mannheimia succiniciproducens, was summarized and compared. Their strengths and weakness were discussed. In addition, strategies for microbial strain improvement including metabolic engineering and membrane engineering were introduced. Future research needs were recommended.
