Elucidating the interplay between intracellular manganese–iron-ratio and radiotolerance across all domains of life
Kristina Beblo-Vranesevic, Hector Palomeque-Dominguez, Tommaso Zaccaria, Robert Reichelt, Dina Grohmann, Jessica A Stammeier, Petra Rettberg · 2026
Read Elucidating the interplay between intracellular manganese–iron-ratio and radiotolerance across all domains of life by Kristina Beblo-Vranesevic, Hector Palomeque-Dominguez, Tommaso Zaccaria, Robert Reichelt, Dina Grohmann, Jessica A Stammeier, Petra Rettberg (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13251893.txt.
Description
Kristina Beblo-Vranesevic and colleagues test a popular theory of radiation resistance across the tree of life in a 2026 study. The theory holds that cells rich in manganese relative to iron suffer less oxidative damage, because manganese chemistry mops up the reactive molecules radiation creates. The team measured both metals in nineteen archaeal and bacterial species plus two yeasts, then compared the ratios with survival after exposure.
Across this broad range of organisms, the ratio did not line up with tolerance. Some resistant species fit the pattern, but many did not, and fragile species sometimes carried high ratios. The authors conclude the metal balance may help certain special microbes yet cannot serve as a universal guide to survival. They argue tolerance has many roots, including DNA repair, antioxidant defenses, and metabolic tricks.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Kristina Beblo-Vranesevic, Hector Palomeque-Dominguez, Tommaso Zaccaria, Robert Reichelt, Dina Grohmann, Jessica A Stammeier, Petra Rettberg |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 40 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |