One-carbon compounds (C1), including methane, formate, methanol, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, have been considered to be the ideal raw materials for the third generation of biorefining, due to their abundance and low cost. Microbes that can naturally utilize C1 have been widely studied with low carbon conversion rate and industrial difficulty. The transformation and heterologous expression of C1 utilization pathway described as synthetic one-carbon bio-utilization system can help overcome the obstacles of non-model organisms, which will reduce the dependence on traditional fossil fuels. This review briefly summarized the types, sources and natural pathways of C1. We mainly focused on the progress of C1 utilization in model organisms and empha-sized the importance of synthetic C1 bio-utilization systems for improving carbon conversion rate and developing new application. In addition, we discussed the challenges and perspectives of the biotransformation of C1. This paper provided a reference for the construction of synthetic C1 utilization microorganisms and improving the efficiency of heterologous C1 metabolic pathway, which is of great significance for realizing green and efficient development of sustainable resources.