无性产孢是工业、农业和医学上很多重要的丝状真菌最普遍的繁殖方式，研究其调控机理可以更好地控制和利用这些真菌。研究表明曲霉无性产孢是受以brlA为关键基因的产孢中心途径（CDPs）控制，但目前对于产孢中心途径如何与产孢信号偶联从而调控分生孢子产生的机制还不清楚。本项目基于前期发现的作为胞内第二信使的钙离子的通道基因在模式真菌构巢曲霉的无性产孢中发挥重要作用，将进一步围绕无性产孢的分子调控机理这一主题，以位于质膜上高亲和性钙离子通道基因midA/cchA和低亲和性钙离子通道基因figA为研究对象，研究midA/cchA和figA基因与产孢中心途径的关系；并结合数字基因表达谱技术筛选钙信号系统下游调控产孢的关键基因；阐明钙信号系统和产孢调控途径的偶联关系。本研究不仅会加深我们对丝状真菌产孢信号在胞内传递过程的认识，还将为有效地控制有害病菌或更好地利用有益真菌提供理论依据。

Asexual sporulation is a common reproductive mode for a diverse group of fungi that includes many industrially, agriculturally, and medically important species. The understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of asexual sporulation will benefit us in using or controlling those fungi. Asexual development in Aspergillus involves the formation of specialized multicellular structures called conidiophores which is controlled through a central regulatory pathway (CDPs) with the transcription factor (TF) brlA as the key gene. However, our knowledge of the connection between sporulation signals and CDPs is rather limited. Calcium ions, present inside all eukaryotic cells, are important second messengers in the transduction of biological signals. We found that the calcium channel genes located in the cytoplasm membrane played important roles on conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans, but the regulatory mechanisms of calcium based signaling system on conidiation were limited. In this project, we will focus on the relationships between asexual development and calcium based signaling system through studying the cross talk among high-affinity calcium channel genes midA/cchA and low-affinity calcium channel gene figA and the CDPs, screening the key candidate genes downstream of calcium based signaling system on A. nidulans conidiation by digital gene expression profile technology and clarify the regulatory mechanisms of calcium based signaling system on CDPs. Those results will deepen our understanding of the asexual sporulation regulatory mechanisms, especially in the sporulation signals transduction in vivo and provide the theoretical basis for us to use and modify those fungi.