Hisashi Koiwa Assistant Professor
Faculty of Molecular Environmental Plant Sciences
Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2133Phone: 979-845-5282
Fax: 979-845-0627
E-mail: koiwa@neo.tamu.eduHisashi Koiwa received his B.S., M.S. and Doctorate degrees in Agricultural Chemistry, from Kyoto University, Japan, in 1991, 1993, 1996. Dr. Koiwa started his scientific research with analysis of plant stress proteins using technologies such as plant tissue culture, biochemical analysis, and X-ray crystallography. He joined to Dept. Hort. and LA., Purdue University as a postdoctoral associate and studied plant proteinase inhibitors as anti-insect plant defense molecules, with which he still maintains his collaboration with Dept. Entomology, TAMU. In Purdue Univ., Dr. Koiwa is one of the pioneering members of the genomics project for Plant Osmotic Stress response and has been in charge of T-DNA tagging and gene identification of salt and osmotic stress response mutants.
In TAMU Dr. Koiwa is studying genetics and biochemistry of osmotic stress response. The current focuses are to understand the role of RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain phosphatase (CTD phosphatases) gene family on stress responsive transcription, and identifying genetic loci that determine the natural variation of salt tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Human CTD phosphatase is a known target of HIV Tat protein in the process of HIV proliferation and is a potential target for drug development. The goal of Dr. KoiwaÕs studies are to connect molecular biology of plants to broader scientific communities such as human health issues, and to breeding programs where natural variation is a critical factor in their success.
Dr. Koiwa is a Member of the Graduate Faculty of Texas A&M University and can serve as a Chair, Co-Chair or Member of Graduate Student Advising Committees. Dr. Koiwa's areas of focus are plant environmental stress response, particularly osmotic stress and salinity stress. Dr. Koiwa teaches MEPS605 (Plant Biochemistry).
"The joy of discovering the beauty of the nature and the wonder of the small molecular machines functioning in each organism cannot be replaced by anything else. The moment the students experience this excitement, they will realize all the commitments they have made are rewarded. To my people, I expect this enthusiasm and commitment that are the keys to unlock the mysteries of the living cells, and will distinguish the scientists, mature or young, from the other kind. I want my fellow scientists to take challenges, face and attack the problems. I will, though with my yet limited abilities, do my best to support my people in exploring the front end of plant biology, and will share my own excitements with them, and will get excited myself by the success of the scientists."
Teaching:
MEPS605 (Plant Biochemistry) Spring semesterPosition Open:
Publications (1999-2003):
A NSF funded position for a graduate student is available to conduct research on genes that regulate plant environmental stress responses by modulating core transcriptional machinery. To apply, send a letter of application outlining research experience and interests, curriculum vitae to Dr. Hisashi Koiwa (e-mail: koiwa@neo.tamu.edu), MS2133 Dept. Hort. Sci., Texas A&M University, TX77843-2133, USA. Electronic applications are accepted via e-mail.
i) Research articles
Koiwa, H., Hausmann, S., Bang, W.Y., Ueda, A., Kondo, N., Hiraguri, A., Fukuhara, T., Bahk, J.D., Yun, D.J., Bressan, R.A., Hasegawa, P.M., and Shuman, S. (2004). Arabidopsis C-terminal domain phosphatase-like 1 and 2 are essential Ser-5-specific C-terminal domain phosphatases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 101, 14539-44.
Ruggiero, B., Koiwa, H., Manabe, Y., Quist, T.M., Inan, G., Saccardo, F., Joly, R.J., Hasegawa, P.M., Bressan, R.A., and Maggio, A. (2004). Uncoupling the Effects of Abscisic Acid on Plant Growth and Water Relations. Analysis of sto1/nced3, an Abscisic Acid-Deficient but Salt Stress-Tolerant Mutant in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. in press.
Moon, J., Salzman, R.A., Ahn, J.E., Koiwa, H., and Zhu-Salzman, K. (2004). Transcriptional regulation in cowpea bruchid guts during adaptation to a plant defence protease inhibitor. Insect Mol Biol 13, 283-291.
Salzman, R.A., Koiwa, H., Ibeas, J.I., Pardo, J.M., Hasegawa, P.M., and Bressan, R.A. (2004). Inorganic cations mediate plant PR5 protein antifungal activity through fungal Mnn1- and Mnn4-regulated cell surface glycans. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 17, 780-788.
Zhu-Salzman, K., Salzman, R.A., Ahn, J.E., and Koiwa, H. (2004). Transcriptional Regulation of Sorghum Defense Determinants against a Phloem-Feeding Aphid. Plant Physiol 134, 420-431.
Zhu-Salzman, K., Ahn, J.-E., Salzman, R.A., Koiwa, H., Shade, R.E., and Balfe, S. (2003). Fusion of a soybean cysteine protease inhibitor and a legume lectin enhances anti-insect activity synergistically. Agri. Forest Entomol. 5, 317-323.
Koiwa, H., Li, F., McCully, M. G., Mendoza, I., Koizumi, N., Manabe, Y., Nakagawa, Y., Zhu, J.-H., Rus, A., Pardo, J. M., Bressan, R. A., Hasegawa, P. M. (2003) The STT3a subunit isoform of the Arabidopsis thaliana oligosaccharyltransferase controls adaptive responses to salt/osmotic stress, Plant Cell, 15, 2237-2284.
Zhu-Salzman, K., Koiwa, H., Salzman, R. A., Shade, R. E., Lee, J.-E. (2003) Cowpea bruchid Callosobruchus maculates uses a three-component strategy to overcome a plant defensive cysteine protease inhibitor. Insect Mol. Biol., 12, 135-145
Zhu. J.-H., Gong, Z., Zhong, Z., Song, C.-P., Damsz, B., Inan, G., Koiwa, H., Zhu, J.-K., Hasegawa, P. M., Bressan, R. A. (2002) OSM1/SYP61: a syntaxin protein in Arabidopsis controls ABA mediated and non ABA-mediated responses to abiotic stress. Plant Cell, 14, 3009-3028.
Zhu-Salzman, K., Hammen, P. K., Salzman, R. A., Koiwa, H., Bressan, R. A., Murdock, L. L. & Hasegawa, P. M. (2002). Calcium modulates protease resistance and carbohydrate binding of a plant defense legume lectin, Griffonia simplicifolia lectin II (GSII). Comp. Biochem. Phys, B 132, 327-334.
Xiong, L., Lee, H., Ishitani, M., Tanaka, Y., Stevenson, B., Koiwa, H., Bressan, R. A., Hasegawa, P. M. & Zhu, J.-K. (2002). Repression of stress-responsive genes by FIERY2, a novel transcriptional regulator in Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99, 10899-10904.
Koiwa, H., Barb, A. W., Xiong, L., Li, F., McCully, M. G., Lee, B.-h., Sokolchik, I., Zhu, J., Gong, Z., Reddy, M., Sharkhuu, A., Manabe, Y., Yokoi, S., Zhu, J.-K., Bressan, R. A. & Hasegawa, P. M. (2002). C-terminal domain phosphatase-like family members (AtCPLs) differentially regulate Arabidopsis thaliana abiotic stress signaling, growth, and development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99, 10894-10898
Koiwa, H., D'Urzo, M. P., Assfalg-Machleidt, I., Zhu-Salzman, K., Shade, R. E., An, H., Murdock, L. L., Machleidt, W., Bressan, R. A. & Hasegawa, P. M. (2001). Phage display selection of hairpin loop soyacystatin variants that mediate high affinity inhibition of a cysteine proteinase. Plant J., 27, 383-391.
Rus, A., Yokoi, S., Sharkhuu, A., Reddy, M., B.-H., L., Matsumoto, T. K., Koiwa, H., Zhu, J.-K., Bressan, R. A. & Hasegawa, P. M. (2001). AtHKT1 is a salt tolerance determinant that controls Na+ entry into plant roots. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 98, 14150-14155.
Li, X., Gong, Z., Koiwa, H., Niu, X., Espartero, J., Zhu, X., Veronese, P., Ruggiero, B., Bressan, R. A., Weller, S. C. & Hasegawa, P. M. (2001). Bar expressing peppermint (Mentha x Piperita L. var. Black Mitcham) plants are highly resistant to the glufosinate herbicide Liberty. Mol. Breed., 8, 109-118.
Igarashi, D., Koiwa, H., Sato, F., Ito, N., Harada, K. & Kobayashi, K. (2001). Functional similarities of recombinant OLP and cytokinin-binding protein 2. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 65, 2806-2810.
Gong, Z., Koiwa, H., Cushman, M. A., Ray, A., Bufford, D., Kore-eda, S., Matsumoto, T. K., Zhu, J., Cushman, J. C., Bressan, R. A. & Hasegawa, P. M. (2001). Genes that are uniquely stress-regulated in salt overly sensitive (sos) mutants. Plant Physiol., 126, 363-375.
Koiwa, H., Shade, R. E., Zhu-Salzman, K., DÕUrzo, M. P., Murdock, L. L., Bressan, R. A. & Hasegawa, P. M. (2000). A plant defensive cystatin (soyacystatin) targets cathepsin L-like digestive cysteine proteinases (DvCALs) in the larval midgut of western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera). FEBS Lett., 471, 67-70.
Koiwa, H., DÕUrzo, M. P., Zhu-Salzman, K., Ibeas, J. I., Shade, R. E., Murdock, L. L., Bressan, R. A. & Hasegawa, P. M. (2000). An in-gel assay of a recombinant western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) cysteine proteinase expressed in yeast. Anal. Biochem., 282, 153-155.
Koiwa, H., Kato, H., Nakatsu, T., Oda, J. i., Yamada, Y. & Sato, F. (1999). Crystal Structure of Tobacco PR-5d Protein at 1.8 A Resolution Reveals a Conserved Acidic Cleft Structure in Antifungal Thaumatin-like Proteins. J. Mol. Biol., 286, 1137-1145.
ii) Review
Bohnert, H. J., Ayoubi, P., Borchert, C., Bressan, R. A., Burnap, R. L., Cushman, J. C., Cushman, M. A., Deyholos, M., Fisher, R., Galbraith, D. W., Hasegawa, P. M., Jenks, M., Kawasaki, S., Koiwa, H., Kore-eda, S., Lee, B.-H., Michalowski, C. B., Misawa, E., Nomura, M., Oztuk, N., Postier, B., Prade, R., Song, C.-P., Tanaka, Y., Wang, H. & Zhu, J.-K. (2001). A genomics approach towards salt stress tolerance. Plant Physiol. Biochem., 39, 295-311.Koiwa, H. (2004). Salt stress and ion homeostasis. In Crosstalks between plant environmental responses and development. (K. Shinozaki, K. Okada, and A. Oka, eds) Springer-Verlag, Tokyo pp. 181-188. (in Japanese)