桑寄生是地位重要而又繁育困难的特殊药材，其种子为典型的顽拗性种子，失活快，脱水敏感性强。而种子是唯一的繁殖材料，严重制约其繁育。目前顽拗性种子保存研究多，但成功实例较少，其根本原因是对脱水敏感性引起的死亡机理知之甚少。种子脱水敏感性是引起顽拗性种子死亡的关键科学问题。本研究拟通过对桑寄生种子进行脱水、低温与超低温保存的系统研究，实现短期和长期保存种质资源的目标；围绕桑寄生种子脱水过程中细胞的死亡形式、形态结构及抗氧化系统的综合研究，筛选种子脱水敏感性关键时期；通过Solexa高通量测序，挖掘与脱水敏感性相关的关键基因并进行RACE全长克隆，采用RT-PCR的方法验证种子脱水死亡过程中关联基因的时空表达规律，揭示脱水过程中种子死亡的机理。本研究成果不仅为研制桑寄生种子保存关键技术提供理论依据，还为其它顽拗性种子的保存提供新的知识与技术。

Taxillus chinensis (DC.）Danser is a well known traditional chinese medicine but whose breeding is very difficult. The seeds of Taxillus chinensis (DC.）Danser are typical recalcitrant which are fast inactivation and very sensitive to desiccation, what's more, the seeds are the only reproductive materials. Recently, there are many studies focus on the preservation of recalcitrant seeds, however, successful cases is little, the main reason is there is little known about the mechanism of the death of desiccation sensitivity. The key scientific problem of the death of recalcitrant seeds is desiccation sensitivity. The aim of this research project is to realize the short and long term aim of preservation of Taxillus chinensis (DC.）Danser seeds by studying the effects of dehydration, low temperature and ultra-low temperature on seeds preservation. Through the comprehensive study of the forms of death during seed dehydration process, morphological structure and antioxidant system to screen the critical period of desiccation sensitivity. By high-throughput Solexa sequencing, the key genes associated with desiccation sensitivity will be mined and full-length of these genes will be cloned by RACE. Besides, RT-PCR will be used to verify expression of spatiotemporal correlation process of the seeds dehydration during the death process and reveal the mechanism of seed death during dehydration process. The study not only provides theory basis for the key technology in the preservation of Taxillus chinensis (DC.）Danser seeds, but also new knowledge and technology for other recalcitrant seed's preservation.