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Abstract
Manganese is a widely abundant transition metal, yet the biochemical mechanisms behind bacterial Mn(II) oxidation remain poorly defined. To identify genes involved in this process, random transposon mutagenesis was performed in Pseudomonas putida GB‑1. Mutants with reduced Mn(II) oxidation were identified, but unexpectedly, several mutants oxidized Mn(II) earlier than the wild‑type. All of these carried disruptions in motility‑related genes, and further assays confirmed a link between impaired motility or flagella synthesis and accelerated Mn(II) oxidation—the first evidence of such a relationship. Growth‑condition experiments also showed that different genes are required for Mn(II) oxidation depending on substrate and temperature. Together, these results reveal the complexity of Mn(II) oxidation regulation in P. putida GB‑1.