Description:
<jats:p>
In an oxygenic environment, poorly soluble Fe
<jats:sup>3+</jats:sup>
must be reduced to meet the cellular Fe
<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup>
demand. This study demonstrates that elevated CO
<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>
/HCO
<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>
<jats:sup>−</jats:sup>
levels accelerate chemical Fe
<jats:sup>3+</jats:sup>
reduction through phenolic compounds, thus increasing intracellular Fe
<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup>
availability. A number of biological environments are characterized by the presence of phenolic compounds and elevated HCO
<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>
<jats:sup>−</jats:sup>
levels and include soil habitats and the human body. Fe
<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup>
availability is of particular interest in the latter, as it controls the infectiousness of pathogens. Since the effect postulated here is abiotic, it generally affects the Fe
<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup>
distribution in nature.
</jats:p>