裸子植物一般为风媒传粉，但具特殊系统位置的买麻藤属（Gnetum）植物却普遍为虫媒传粉。由于其传粉滴分泌和昆虫访问均在夜间发生，相关传粉机制研究仍十分缺乏。我们的前期研究表明小叶买麻藤（Gnetum parvifolium）传粉滴中含有大量微生物，这些微生物与传粉者存在何种互作，也有待深入研究。基于前期居群调查结果，本项目拟选择三个具有不同传粉者多样性的小叶买麻藤居群（海南、云南和广东），深入研究传粉滴微生物在其虫媒传粉过程中发挥的生态功能。计划通过纯培养和高通量测序相结合的手段全面鉴定传粉滴微生物群落结构，探寻其与环境因子、植物繁殖特征和传粉者多样性之间的关系；运用微生物接种和色谱-质谱法，检验关键菌种及菌种组合代谢作用所导致的传粉滴化学成分的改变，对传粉者行为和植物生殖适合度的影响。项目的实施将为濒危植物小叶买麻藤的保护提供参考资料，也将有助于探索买麻藤属植物虫媒传粉模式的适应和进化。

Gymnosperms are generally considered to be pollinated by wind, yet insect pollination is prevalent in the phylogeny-specific genus Gnetum (Gnetales), whose pollination drops are secreted at night for the attraction of pollinating insects. There are now few studies on the pollination mechanisms of Gnetum, possibly because of the difficulties in nocturnal observation. Our previous study indicated that microbes occurred regularly in the pollination drop of Gnetum parvifolium, however, their roles on the insect-pollination process that remain relatively unexplored. Based on the preliminary results of population surveys, three populations (Hainan, Yunnan and Guangdong) with distinct pollinator diversitys will be chosen to conduct studies on the ecological functions of microbes on the insect pollination of G. parvifolium. We will use cultivation-dependent and -independent (high-throughput sequencing) techniques to study microbial community structure in the pollination drop. Multi-year field experiments will be conducted to explore the relationships among environmental factors, plant reproductive traits, pollinator diversity and microbial community structure. In addition, microbial inoculation (important strains and their combinations) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry will be used to determine the influence of microbe-mediated variation in the chemical composition of pollination drop on pollinator foraging and subsequent plant reproductive fitness. The project aims to reveal the patterns of adptation and evolution in the insect pollination of G. parvifolium. Furthermore, relevant results can be used as reference data for the conservation of this rare and endangered plant species.