# Coenzyme M: An Archaeal Antioxidant as an Agricultural Biostimulant

## TL;DR

Coenzyme M, an antioxidant from archaea, boosts plant growth and resilience, making it a promising agricultural biostimulant.

## Contribution

The study introduces Coenzyme M as a novel, scalable biostimulant with unique effects on plant physiology.

## Key findings

- CoM increased shoot mass and root length in Arabidopsis in a concentration-dependent manner.
- CoM improved photosynthetic light capture in tobacco without affecting carbon capture rates.
- CoM promoted early shoot growth in multiple crops including tobacco, basil, cannabis, and soybean.

## Abstract

Rising global food demand necessitates improved crop yields. Biostimulants offer a potential solution to meet these demands. Among them, antioxidants have shown potential to improve yield, nutritional quality, and resilience to climate change. However, large-scale production of many antioxidants is challenging. Here, we investigate Coenzyme M (CoM), a small, achiral antioxidant from archaea, as a potential biostimulant, investigating its effects on growth and physiology. CoM significantly increased shoot mass and root length of the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, in a concentration-dependent manner. Sulfur-containing CoM supplementation restored growth under sulfur-limited conditions in Arabidopsis, whereas similar recovery was not observed for other macronutrient deficiencies, consistent with it being metabolized. In tobacco, CoM increased photosynthetic light capture capacity, consistent with observed growth improvements. Interestingly, this effect was independent of carbon capture rates. Furthermore, CoM promoted early-stage shoot growth in various crops species, including tobacco, basil, cannabis, and soybean. Our results suggest CoM is a promising, scalable biostimulant with potential to modify photosynthesis and enhance crop productivity.