The replacement of the carbon source in the microbial production of itaconic acid (IA) with economic alternatives has attracted significant attention. In this study, an Aspergillus terreus CICC40205 mutant was used to increase the IA titer and decrease the citric acid titer in the wheat bran hydrolysate compared with the parental strain. The results showed that the IA titer was increased by 33.4%, whereas the citric acid titer was decreased by 75.8%, and were in accordance with those of the improved pathway of cometabolism of glucose and xylose according to the metabolic flux analysis. Additionally, the maximum IA titer obtained in a 7-L stirred tank was 49.65 g L-1 +/- 0.38 g L-1. Overall, A. terreus CICC40205 showed a great potential for the industrial production of IA through the biotransformation of the wheat bran hydrolysate. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.