In this study, cellobiose, a reducing disaccharide was used to produce succinic acid by Actinobacillus succinogenes Nj113. A final succinic acid concentration of 30.3 g/1 with a yield of 67.8% was achieved from an initial cellobiose concentration of 50 g/1 via batch fermentation in anaerobic bottles. The cellobiose uptake mechanism was investigated and the results of enzyme assays revealed that the phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PEP-PTS) played an important role in the cellobiose uptake process. In batch fermentation with 18 g/1 of cellobiose and 17 g/I of other sugars from sugarcane bagasse cellulose hydrolysates, a succinic acid concentration of 20.0 g/1 was obtained, with a corresponding yield of 64.7%. This study found that cellobiose from incomplete hydrolysis of cellulose could be a potential carbon source for economical and efficient succinic acid production by A. succinogenes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.