Genetic code expansion enables plant-directed control of bacterial activity.

Genetic code expansion enables plant-specific control of bacterial protein synthesis using O-methyl-L-tyrosine in soil bacteria.

• Why it matters: Controlling microbial activity in crops is crucial for harnessing beneficial plant-microbe interactions, but current methods lack precise, plant-targeted regulation.
• What they did: Researchers engineered Bacillus subtilis with an orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pair that responds to plant-produced OMY, and modified Arabidopsis, tomato, and poplar to biosynthesize OMY, demonstrating plant-dependent microbial gene regulation.
• The result: This work shows that plant-derived OMY can induce gene expression in soil bacteria, enabling on-demand, tissue-specific microbial activity control and advancing programmable plant-microorganism partnerships.