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Toru Takimoto, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Office: (585) 273-2856

Fax: (585) 473-9573

Research Labs

Faculty Appointments

Biography

Research

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Research project in progress
The major areas of research in my laboratory are as follows:
Molecular mechanism of paramyxovirus assembly: Efficient assembly and release of progeny virions from infected cells are major determinants of viral pathogenicity. Molecular mechanism of paramyxovirus assembly is not well understood. We are characterizing the trafficking of viral nucleocapsid to the site of assembly at the plasma membrane to understand the cellular machinery viruses utilize for assembly of progeny virions. URSMD Collaborators = Brian Ward, Minsoo Kim.

Assembly of Influenza A viruses: Influenza viruses replicate and form nucleocapsid core in nuclei of infected cells. The progeny nucleocapsid cores are then transported to the plasma membrane budding sites. This study analyzes cellular and viral protein interactions required for the nuclear export of nucleocapsid and budding of progeny virions. URSMD Collaborators = Brian Ward

Role of Influenza Virus Polymerase in Host Adaptation: We participate in the virology research team of the New York Influenza Center of Excellence (NYICE), which is part of the NIH Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) network. Our focus is on the influenza virus RNA polymerase, and understanding how it contributes to host adaptation. We characterize the polymerase activities of avian and human strains, and identify residues and subunits of the polymerase complex important for the enhanced activity in mammalian hosts in vitro and in vivo. URSMD Collaborators = David Topham, John Treanor, Steve Dewhurst, Baek Kim.

Credentials

Education

1986
BS | Japan-Hokkaido University - Sapporo
Veterinary Medicine

1988
MS | Japan-Hokkaido University - Sapporo
Microbiology

1989
DVM | Japan-Hokkaido University - Sapporo
Veterinary Medicine

1994
PhD | Japan-Hokkaido University - Sapporo
Microbiology

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

1990 - 1995
Department of Virology and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

Publications

Journal Articles

10/17/2022
Lutz M, Schmierer J, Takimoto T. "Host adaptive mutations in the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza A virus PA gene regulate translation efficiency of viral mRNAs via GRSF1." Communications biology.. 2022 Oct 17; 5(1):1102. Epub 2022 Oct 17.

11/27/2021
Raymonda MH, Ciesla JH, Monaghan M, Leach J, Asantewaa G, Smorodintsev-Schiller LA, Lutz MM, Schafer XL, Takimoto T, Dewhurst S, Munger J, Harris IS. "Pharmacologic profiling reveals lapatinib as a novel antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro." Virology.. 2021 Nov 27; 566:60-68. Epub 2021 Nov 27.

9/2021
Kurebayashi Y, Bajimaya S, Watanabe M, Lim N, Lutz M, Dunagan M, Takimoto T. "Human parainfluenza virus type 1 regulates cholesterol biosynthesis and establishes quiescent infection in human airway cells." PLoS pathogens.. 2021 Sep; 17(9):e1009908. Epub 2021 Sep 16.

Books & Chapters

2006
Chapter Title: Parainfluenza viruses. (version 2.0) Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2006.
Book Title: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
Author List: Takimoto T
Published By: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2006

2002
Chapter Title: Parainfluenza viruses. Nature Encyclopedia of Life Science. Nature Publishing Group. 2002.
Book Title: Nature Encyclopedia of Life Science
Author List: Takimoto T.
Published By: Nature Publishing Group 2002

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