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Machine learning–enabled non–targeted metabolomics reveals nutritional and metabolic responses of Brachypodium distachyon to drought and elevated CO2

Chang, Hsin-Fang1; Caso-McHugh, Theresa1; Des Marais, David1

Research facility: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Published Sep 16, 2025 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qnk98sfv2

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Abstract

Rising atmospheric CO2, coupled with intensified drought in many regions, impacts the physiology of C3 plants beyond photosynthesis and carbon metabolism. The interaction between CO2 and drought affects many plant nutrient concentrations, reducing the CO2 fertilization effect in natural systems, increasing agrochemical use, and reducing the nutritive content of crops. To address these challenges, we investigated nutrient dynamics in Brachypodium distachyon, a model for C3 cereal grasses, under ambient (400 ppm) and elevated (800 ppm) CO2, factorially combined with well-watered or drought treatments. Integrative analyses of plant physiology, ionomics, transcriptomics, and non-targeted metabolomics revealed that plant elemental composition and metabolomic responses to elevated CO2 strongly depend on water availability. Elevated CO2 and drought impaired nitrogen status, with root nitrate uptake being more negatively affected than ammonium uptake. However, elevated CO2 increased iron partitioning in leaves under drought, potentially driven by enhanced carbon availability, facilitating chelator synthesis for iron translocation. The high accumulation of sphingolipids in roots under combined stresses suggests a protective role against ionome imbalances. These findings highlight how environmental stressors shape plant nutrient dynamics, providing insights that may improve modeling ecosystem response or guide agricultural practices and breeding strategies to optimize nutrient management under changing climate conditions.