石果衣真菌是一种具有极强抗旱能力的地衣型真菌，它的抗旱基因库是遗传改良植物抗旱能力的巨大资源。本申请拟采用分子生物学和生物化学等手段研究石果衣真菌抗旱信号通路中的重要组分，同时研究通过酵母表达文库定向筛选出在酵母中有抗旱作用的基因。在此基础上，本研究将通过氨基酸同源比对和构建蛋白截短体等方法，找到石果衣真菌基因可能起作用的特殊氨基酸区段，在酵母中验证各个蛋白截短体的功能。通过分子遗传学和生理学等手段重点比较和探究石果衣真菌基因直接转入植物与通过具有抗旱功能的氨基酸区段改编植物同源基因这两种基因资源利用方式的潜力。在“沙漠生物地毯工程”及“沙漠变良田”愿景的导向之下，本项目将为阐明地衣型真菌抗旱信号通路中独特的组分奠定理论基础，为探究其基因资源的利用潜力提供创新性的知识积累。

Endocarpon pusillum is a lichen-forming fungus with strong ability of drought resistant, it will be a huge and potential superiority gene resource library for genetic improvements the drought-resistant capacity of plant. Here we propose isolation and functional characterization of E. pusillum drought-resistant genes using molecular biology and biochemistry approaches. First, we will elucidate the role of the important genes in drought-resistant related signal pathway and the genes screening from yeast expression library by examining their expression pattern and phenotypic analysis of transgenic yeast. Furthermore, we will employ multiple sequences alignment and gene truncated mutant construction approaches to clarify the function of each truncated mutant. The target genes will transferred into plant and based on their special amino acid sequence with drought-resistant function to modify the homologous gene in plant. Finally, we will compare and research the feasibility of two transgenic genetic approaches. The project is under the guidance of “Desert Biological Carpet Engineering” and “deserts turned to arable land”, the accomplishment of this project would establish theoretical basis to illuminate the special genes in lichen-forming fungal signal pathway, and provide deeper insight into the potential of utilization of lichen genetic resources.