Agriculture Daily Summary
Agriculture Daily Summary: What Happened on October 20, 2026
Engineered plants use OMY to signal bacteria
Researchers tested the signal in three plant species and found it could activate bacterial gene expression.
Today in brief
Engineered Arabidopsis, tomato and poplar produced O-methyl-L-tyrosine (OMY), which triggered gene expression in associated bacteria.1
Plants signal bacteria with OMY
Researchers engineered Arabidopsis, tomato and poplar to produce OMY, a chemical signal that triggered gene expression in associated bacteria.1 Engineered Bacillus subtilis showed an OMY-dependent protein-synthesis range exceeding 3,000-fold.1