Antioxidant Chiral CDzymes Enhance Seed Germination under Salt Stress: Mechanistic Insights into Enantiomeric-Specific Regulation

Salinization threatens crop growth and yield, with seed germination being a particularly vulnerable stage. Nanopriming is an emerging strategy for mitigating salt stress in seeds. To address salinity-induced oxidative damage and leverage the critical role of chirality, we report chiral carbon dot nanozymes (CDzymes) with good biocompatibility to promote seed germination under salt stress. The CDzymes derived from l-/d-cysteine and glucose share similar chemical structures and broad-spectrum antioxidant capability to scavenge reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Priming pea seeds with CDzymes significantly improves the germination phenotypic traits under salt stress, and l-CDzymes are more effective than d- and achiral CDzymes in restoring the physiological and biochemical indicators. The proteomic analysis reveals that both l-and d-CDzymes alleviate pea seed salt stress via conserved pathways but show enantiomeric specificity: l-CDzymes prioritize protein homeostasis, while d-CDzymes focus on cell wall reinforcement. This work establishes chiral antioxidant nanomaterials as promising tools for agricultural stress management.