Dr. Keiko U. Torii

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University of Washington
College of Arts and Sciences
Biology
Molecular and Cellular Biology Program
Associate ProfessorAppointed: 2005
Professional Headshot of Keiko U. Torii

Mailing Address

Hitchcock Hall 544
Box 355325
Seattle, Washington 98195-5325
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (206) 221-5701
Fax: (206) 685-1728
ktorii@u.washington.edu
http://faculty.washington.edu/ktorii

Qualifications

Postdoctoral, Department of Biology, Plant Molecular Genetics, 1997.
Postdoctoral, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Plant Molecular Genetics, 1994.
Ph.D., University of Tsukuba, Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1993.
Postdoctoral, University of Tokyo, Molecular Genetics Research Laboratory, Plant Molecular Genetics, 1992.
M.Sc., University of Tsukuba, Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1989.
B.Sc., University of Tsukuba, Biology, 1987.

Expertise and Research Interests

Arabidopsis Developmental Genetics
Receptor-Mediated Signal Transduction
Asymmetric division and stomatal differentiation
Cell Cycle and Organogenesis

The control of body and organ size of multicellular organism remains one of the unresolved questions in developmental biology. In plants and animals, increasing evidence supports the view that, while cell proliferation and cellular growth are an instrumental process of organ growth, final size and form of organs are governed by the intrinsic mechanisms that monitor and balance the number and size of cells within the context of developmental programs.

In higher plants, lateral organs are generated reiteratively by the continual activity of the shoot apical meristem (SAM). Because plant cells are encapsulated by cell walls, organogenesis occurs in the absence of cell migration or removal of overproduced cells. As such, signals that coordinate proliferation, expansion, and differentiation of the neighboring cells are critical for proper organ growth, and hence, the overall plant size, patterns and architecture. The goal of research in the Torii lab is to elucidate molecular and cellular bases of the coordination of cell proliferation during plant organ morphogenesis. For this purpose, we are focusing on a family of receptor kinases that control cell proliferation, organ growth and floral/ovule differentiation.

Recently, we discovered by serendipity that three receptor kinases that are known to regulate cell proliferation and organ growth together control stomatal patterning. Stomata are turgor-driven valves on the surface of land plants. Stomata play critical roles for gas exchange between plants and atmosphere for carbon fixation, respiration, and transpiration (i.e. water movement). Our latest breakthrough includes the identification of "master regulatory genes" that direct asymmetric cell division and stomatal differentiatin. Our resaerch opens a door to understand the fundamental genetic and cellular signaling mechanisms that govern two critical aspects of plant functions, organ growth and stomatal development.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Biochemistry, Botany, Cell Biology, Cell Cycle, Cell Proliferation, Developmental Biology, Developmental Genetics, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics, Morphogenesis, Plant Genetics, Plant Physiology or Morphology, Plant Sciences, Signal Transduction.

Additional Terms:

Arabidopsis, Cell Proliferation, Developmental Genetics, Organ Morphogenesis, Receptor-like Kinase, Signal Transduction.

Memberships

American Association for Advancement of Science
American Society of Plant Biologists
Society for Developmental Biology

Honors and Awards

2007, Foreign Scientist Invitation Fellowship, JSPS (Japan Society for Promotion of Science)
2006, Recipient, 2006 Prize for Young Japanese Female Scientist of Excellence, Society of Japanese Women Scientists
2002-2006, Investigator, CREST (Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology), JST (Japan Science and Technology Corporation)
1995-1997, Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research Abroad, Japan Society for Promotion of Science
1994, Brown Postdoctoral Fellowship, Yale University
1992-1994, Postdoctoral Fellowship for Japanese Junior Scientists, Japan Society for Promotion of Science

Previous Positions

2000-2005, Assistant Professor, University of Washington, Department of Biology (formerly Botany)

Patents

Production of healthier and stronger seedling crops under low-light environment, Patent Number: 6653527, 2003, Institution-owned, United States of America.
Better emergence characteristics and improved seedling growth under low-light environments, Patent Number: 6579716, 2003, Institution-owned, United States of America.

Publications

  • Bemis, SM and Torii, KU (2007) Autonomy of cell proliferation and developmental programs during Arabidopsis aboveground organ morphogenesis., Developental Biology, 304, 367-381
  • Pillitteri, LJ, Sloan, DB, Bogenschutz, NL, and Torii, KU (2007) Termination of asymmetric cell division and differentiation of stomata., Nature (Article), 445, 501-505
  • Woodward, C, Bemis, SM, Hill, EJ, Sawa, S, Koshiba, T, and Torii, KU (2005) Interaction of auxin and ERECTA in elaborating Arabidopsis inflorescence architecture revealed by the activation-tagging of a new member of the YUCCA-family putative flavin monooxygenases., Plant Physiology, 139, 192-203
  • Shpak ED, McAbee, JM, Pillitteri, LJ, Torii, KU (2005) Stomatal patterning and differentiation by synergistic interactions of receptor kinases., Science, 309, 290-293
  • Enns, LC, Kanaoka, MM, Torii, KU, Comai, L, Okada, K, and Cleland, RE (2005) Two callose synthases, GSL1 and GSL5, play an essential and redundant role in plant and pollen development and in fertility., Plant Molecular Biology, 58, 333-349
  • Shpak ED, Berthiaume CT, Hill EJ, Torii KU, Synergistic interaction of three ERECTA-family receptor-like kinases controls Arabidopsis organ growth and flower development by promoting cell proliferation, Development (Cambridge, England), 131(7), 1491-501, April 2004
  • Torii KU, Leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases in plants: Structure, function, and signal transduction pathways, International Review of Cytology, 234, 1-46, 2004
  • Godiard L, Sauviac L, Torii KU, Grenon O, Mangin B, Grimsley NH, Marco Y, ERECTA, an LRR receptor-like kinase protein controlling development pleiotropically affects resistance to bacterial wilt, The Plant Journal: For Cell and Molecular Biology, 36(3), 353-65, November 2003
  • Shpak ED, Lakeman MB, Torii KU, Dominant-negative receptor uncovers redundancy in the Arabidopsis ERECTA Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase signaling pathway that regulates organ shape, The Plant Cell, 15(5), 1095-110, May 2003 Abstract
  • Lease, K.A., Lau, N.Y., Schuster, R.A., Torii, K.U., and Walker, J.C, Biochemical and genetic characterization of the ERECTA receptor-like kinase of Arabidopsis thaliana, New Phytologist, 151, 133-144, 2001
  • Torii KU, Receptor kinase activation and signal transduction in plants: An emerging picture, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 3(5), 361-7, October 2000
  • Torii KU and Clark SE, Receptor-like kinases in plant development, Advances in Botanical Research, 32, 225-267, 2000
  • Torii, K.U., Trotochaud, A.E., Jeong, S.H., Yu, L.P., Green, K., and Clark, S. E, A receptor-like kinase complex regulating organ formation, Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, 2, 19-22, 2000
  • Stoop-Myer C, Torii KU, McNellis TW, Coleman JE, Deng XW, Short communication: the N-terminal fragment of Arabidopsis photomorphogenic repressor COP1 maintains partial function and acts in a concentration-dependent manner, Plant Journal, 20(6), 713-7, December 1999 Abstract
  • Torii KU, Stoop-Myer CD, Okamoto H, Coleman JE, Matsui M, Deng XW, The RING finger motif of photomorphogenic repressor COP1 specifically interacts with the RING-H2 motif of a novel Arabidopsis protein, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 274(39), 27674-81, September 1999 Abstract
  • Torii KU and Clark SE, From surface to air: Apical meristem development (Book Review), Trends in Cell Biology, 9, 331-332, 1999
  • Torii KU, McNellis TW, Deng XW, Functional dissection of Arabidopsis COP1 reveals specific roles of its three structural modules in light control of seedling development, Embo Journal, 17(19), 5577-87, October 1998 Abstract
  • Yokoyama R, Takahashi T, Kato A, Torii KU, Komeda Y, The Arabidopsis ERECTA gene is expressed in the shoot apical meristem and organ primordia, Plant Journal, 15(3), 301-10, August 1998 Abstract
  • Torii KU and Deng XW, The role of COP1 in light control of Arabidopsis seedling development, Plant, Cell and Environment, 20, 728-733, 1997
  • McNellis TW, Torii KU, Deng XW, Expression of an N-terminal fragment of COP1 confers a dominant-negative effect on light-regulated seedling development in Arabidopsis, Plant Cell, 8(9), 1491-503, September 1996 Abstract
  • Torii KU, Mitsukawa N, Oosumi T, Matsuura Y, Yokoyama R, Whittier RF, Komeda Y, The Arabidopsis ERECTA gene encodes a putative receptor protein kinase with extracellular leucine-rich repeats, Plant Cell, 8(4), 735-46, April 1996 Abstract
  • Torii KU and Deng XW, Regulation of plant form: identification of a molecule controlling cell expansion, BioEssays, 17, 383-386, 1995

Profile Details

Last Verified: 4/23/2007

COS Expertise ID #855695
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/ktorii