L-鼠李糖异构酶(L-rhamnose isomerase, L-RI)具有广泛的底物谱，能够催化包括D-阿洛糖与D-阿洛酮糖在内的多对五元、六元酮醛糖之间的异构化反应，在生物法工业化生产D-阿洛糖中具有巨大的潜力。近年来，L-RI的晶体结构已被解析，其基因已获得克隆、测序和高效表达，经过分子改造的L-RI突变体将是未来工业化生产D-阿洛糖的主要用酶。文章中综述了近年来国内外关于L-RI的结构功能、催化机理、酶学性质及其应用于D-阿洛糖生产方面的研究进展，并展望了其研究趋势。

L-Rhamnose isomerase (L-RI) displays a great potential in biological production of various rare sugars because of its broad substrate specificity towards many aldoses and ketoses, including D-psicose and D-allose. The crystal structure of L-RI has been solved recently and its gene has been cloned, sequenced and high-level expressed. L-RI variant improved by molecular modification will be the dominant enzyme for industrial production of D-allose. Recent advances on crystallographic structure analysis and catalytic mechanism of various L-RIs were overviewed. Enzyme properties and application in D-allose production were also provided in detail, and the potential research trend of L-RI was prospected.