Population-level control of two manganese oxidases expands the niche for bacterial manganese biomineralization

The enzymatic oxidation of aqueous divalent manganese (Mn) is a widespread microbial trait that produces reactive Mn(III, IV) oxide minerals. These biominerals drive carbon, nutrient, and trace metal cycles, thus playing important environmental and ecological roles. However, the regulatory mechanisms and physiological functions of Mn biomineralization are unknown. This challenge arises from the common occurrence of multiple Mn oxidases within the same organism and the use of Mn oxides as indicators of combined gene activity. Through detection of gene activation in individual cells, we discover that expression of mnxG and mcoA, two Mn oxidase-encoding genes in Pseudomonas putida GB-1, is confined to subsets of cells within the population, with each gene showing distinct spatiotemporal patterns that reflect local microenvironments. These coordinated intra-population dynamics control Mn biomineralization and illuminate the strategies used by microbial communities to dictate the e..., , , Population-level control of two manganese oxidases expands the niche for bacterial manganese biomineralization

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.fj6q5742z](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.fj6q5742z)

## Description of the data and file structure

All data were collected using the same microscope and the same settings, as described in the manuscript. The data is a compressed folder of all of the data used to produce the main figures and Supplementary figures, called \"Gehin_Data_2025.zip\". The folder is structured by the figure number, where the compiled raw data (collected after microcolony, cells, and aggregates segmentation were performed) can be found in a .csv or .mat format. In addition, the MATLAB scripts are provided as .m format. If no supplementary file is present, the data is directly contained within the first lines of the MATLAB script. 

### Files and variables

#### File: Gehin_Data_2025_.zip

## Description of data aquisition

**Single cell segmentation.** Scripts for single c...,