Fuente: PubMed "microbial biotechnology" bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Jul 30:2026.05.29.728790. doi: 10.64898/2026.05.29.728790.ABSTRACTProgrammable control of microbial gene expression by plant hosts could enable a new generation of precision agricultural biotechnology. Here, using O -methyl-L-tyrosine (OMY) as a model compound, we establish non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) as a tool for plant-based control of associated microbial activity. We use genetic code expansion to engineer OMY-dependent control of protein synthesis in the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Then, we engineer agronomically diverse plants, including Arabidopsis, tomato and poplar, to biosynthesize OMY. We show that plant-derived OMY can stimulate gene expression in both model and wild soil bacteria while also demonstrating that inducible and tissue-specific expression of a single biosynthetic enzyme by the plant enables on-demand control over microbial activity. This work establishes ncAAs as a tool for programming plant-microbe partnerships.PMID:42619807 | PMC:PMC13484298 | DOI:10.64898/2026.05.29.728790