A Two-Step SeCys Oxidation Pathway Bridging Soil Selenium Bioavailability and Rice Selenium Biofortification.

Comamonas testosteroni JL40 employs a two-step SeCys oxidation pathway that increases soil Se bioavailability by 150% and rice grain Se content by 87.5%.

• Why it matters: Enhancing soil Se bioavailability is crucial to address global Se deficiency, but the molecular mechanisms behind microbial Se oxidation are poorly understood, limiting biofortification strategies.
• What they did: Researchers identified and characterized the SeCys 2 oxidation pathway involving SeoA-D enzymes through proteomic, genetic, and enzymatic analyses, demonstrating its prevalence and environmental distribution.
• The result: This pathway boosts soil Se bioavailability and rice Se content, enabling sustainable biofortification and linking microbial Se metabolism with crop nutrition and ecological resilience.