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  4. Electron flux is a key determinant of uranium isotope fractionation during bacterial reduction
 
research article

Electron flux is a key determinant of uranium isotope fractionation during bacterial reduction

Brown, Ashley  
•
Molinas, Margaux  
•
Roebbert, Yvonne
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2023
Communications Earth & Environment

Uranium isotopic signatures in the rock record are utilized as a proxy for past redox conditions on Earth. However, these signatures display significant variability that complicates the interpretation of specific redox conditions. Using the model uranium-reducing bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, we show that the abundance of electron donors (e.g., labile organic carbon) controls uranium isotope fractionation, such that high electron fluxes suppress fractionation. Further, by purifying a key uranium-reducing enzyme, MtrC, we show that the magnitude of fractionation is explicitly controlled by the protein redox state. Finally, using a mathematical framework, we demonstrate that these differences in fractionation arise from the propensity for back-reaction throughout the multi-step reduction of hexavalent uranium. To improve interpretations of observed fractionations in natural environments, these findings suggest that a variable intrinsic fractionation factor should be incorporated into models of uranium isotope systematics to account for differences in electron flux caused by organic carbon availability.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1038/s43247-023-00989-x
Author(s)
Brown, Ashley  
Molinas, Margaux  
Roebbert, Yvonne
Sato, Ataru
Abe, Minori
Weyer, Stefan
Bernier-Latmani, Rizlan  
Date Issued

2023

Published in
Communications Earth & Environment
Volume

4

Issue

1

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
EML  
RelationURL/DOI

HasPart

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/301173
Available on Infoscience
September 9, 2023
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/200396
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