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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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s43247-023-00989-x.pdf

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http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85

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openaccess

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CC BY

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1.23 MB

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386b90f3b477479eea4b640cdb825d9d

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