珍稀植物锁阳是为数不多的寄生植物药，与寄主白刺生长于沙漠边缘的盐碱地带，是我国历史悠久的少数民族药和常用中药。锁阳目前面临的严重问题是寄生发育困难、出土锁阳衰老过快并伴随活性化合物含量降低等。截至目前，采用传统方法，无法解决上述问题。而本研究则采用前沿的科学理论和研究手段，首次开展锁阳-白刺寄生体及它们不同发育阶段内生真菌的群落特征、遗传关系及演替规律，系统研究锁阳不同发育阶段的主要活性成分及整体代谢组成分的动态变化规律，并探索内生真菌与锁阳发育、代谢之间的关联性，阐明锁阳-内生真菌-白刺之间的三重互作关系、挖掘功能内生真菌，为控制锁阳发育和代谢提供新思路。这对锁阳的栽培与品质控制、白刺的集约化利用、生态保护等具有重要意义。

Cynomoricum songaricum is a rare parasitic plant that has historically been used by many ethnic minorities and Chinese traditional medicine practitioners. C. songaricum parasitizes Nitraria tangutorum in saline-alkali soil on the fringes of deserts. However, there are many challenges surrounding its continued and sustained use as a medicinal resource: the rates at which C. songaricum parasitizes its host are low, its above ground tissue that is harvested is very short-lived and many of its active chemical compounds degrade upon harvesting and as the plant ages. These problems cannot be solved through traditional methods. In this study, we will investigate the correlations between the ecological succession of endophytic fungi from different development stages of C. songaricum and its host N. tangutorum with the metabolites produced by C. songaricum using newly developed methods and analysis used here for the first time. The purpose of this study is to research the tripartite interactions of C. songaricum, N. tangutorum and endophytic fungi, and to search for endophytic fungi that impact development and the production of medicinally important plant compounds. The outcomes of this study will help to develop new methods for controlling development and quality of C. songaricum, sustainable utilization of N. tangutorum and ecological protection of this valued resource.