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Expression of the eglA gene, encoding for a major endoglucanse EG A in Aspergillus nidulans, is induced by cellulose and cellobiose, but not by xylose. This suggests that induction is independent of XlnR, a transcriptional activator of xylanolytic and cellulolytic genes in Aspergillus. Mutational analysis of the eglA promoter was performed to identify the novel cis-element responsible for XlnR-independent induction. The region spanning -153 to -138 (CCGTACCTTTTTAGGA), designated CeRE(Cellulose Responsive Element), was found to be the upstream activating element essential to inductive expression of the eglA gene.

SRF-MADS proteins are transcription factors conserved among eukaryotes that regulate a variety of cellular functions; however, their physiological roles are still not well understood in filamentous fungi. Effects of a mutation in mcmA gene that encodes the sole SRF-MADS protein in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans were examined by RNA sequencing. Sequencing data revealed that expression levels of cellulase genes were significantly decreased by the mutation as reported previously. However, expression levels of various hemicellulolytic enzyme genes, several extracellular protease genes, the nosA and rosA genes involved in sexual development, and AN4394 encoding an ortholog of EcdR involved in Aspergillus oryzae conidiation, were also significantly decreased by the mutation. As expected from the RNA sequencing data, the mcmA mutant had reduced protease production, cleistothecial development, and conidiation. This is the first report describing the involvement of SRF-MADS proteins in protease production in fungi, and asexual and sexual development in Aspergillus.

We measured timing properties of 4 different types of micro-channel-plate photo-multiplier tubes (MCP-PMT) by irradiating with single photons with/without a magnetic field (B); resulted time resolutions are σ= 30 -35 ps for single photons under B = 1.5 T. A small Time-Of-Flight (TOF) counter comprised a thin quartz Cherenkov-radiator and a MCP-PMT has been tested using π-beam. The time resolution of σ= 10.6 ps has been attained. Index Terms-TOF, Cherenkov light, MCP-PMT.A Time-Of-Flight (TOF) counter, which consists of a photon radiator and a photo-detector, is one of the popular devices in high energy physics experiment for identification of particle species. Its time resolution is basically limited by fluctuations of timing and numbers of emitted photons and of propagation length, and the timing property of photo-detector.In our study, the photons by Cherenkov radiation instead of scintillation radiation are employed using a quartz instead of a scintillator to reduce the time fluctuation of photon emission. Also, photon propagation length is managed to have its smallest fluctuation by arranging the relationship between the TOF counter and the incident particles, as described later. In order to realize these features into the TOF time resolution, we use a MCP-PMT as the photo-detector. The measured timing performances of MCP-PMT's are first discussed.