Taroh Kinoshita

Biosketch

Taroh Kinoshita, born in Japan, earned BA (1974) and MSc (1977) in Agricultural Biology from Univ. of Tokyo and PhD in Medical Sciences from Osaka Univ. (1981). After working as Research Associate in Osaka Univ. Med. School (1982, 1985–1988) and in Dept. of Pathology, New York Univ. (1982–1985), he became Assistant Professor (1988) in Dept. of Bacteriology at Osaka Univ. Med. School. He was Professor in Dept. of Immunoregulation of Research Institute for Microbial Diseases at Osaka Univ. (1990–2017), served as Director of Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (2003–2007) and was concurrently Professor in Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka Univ. (2007–2024). He became Endowed Chair Professor in Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (2017–2022), Distinguished Professor of Osaka Univ. (2018) and then Specially-Appointed Professor in Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Univ. of Osaka (2022–). He received numerous honors: 19th Osaka Science Prize (2001); The Commendation for Science and Technology (2010, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan); International Glycoconjugate Organization (IGO) Award (2015); Human Immunology Research Award, Japanese Society for Immunology (2017); Takeda Medical Prize (2017); Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon (2018, Japanese Emperor and Government); Toyoichi Ohtawara Award (2021); Osamu Hayaishi Memorial Prize (2021); Karl Meyer Lectureship Award (2023, Society for Glycobiology); The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (2025, Japanese Emperor and Government).

Research Interests

Dr. Kinoshita’s research focuses on biosynthesis, functions and deficiencies of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (GPI-APs). He identified 25 mammalian genes involved in biosynthesis of GPI, attachment of GPI to proteins, and maturation of GPI-APs. Through functional characterization of these gene products, he clarified genetic and biochemical basis of the GPI-AP biosynthesis pathway. Among them, Kinoshita clarified fatty acid remodeling of GPI-anchor critical for GPI-APs’ association with cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich microdomains in the plasma membrane, a hallmark of GPI-APs. He found unsaturated fatty acid in GPI is replaced with saturated fatty acid (stearic acid) by PGAP3 and PGAP2 proteins in the Golgi apparatus. In addition to basic research, he demonstrated that somatic mutation in PIGA (one of the GPI biosynthetic genes he identified) occurring in hematopoietic stem cells, is causal for GPI deficiency in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), an acquired stem cell disorder characterized by complement-mediated hemolysis and thrombosis. He contributed to finding and characterization of inherited GPI deficiency, characterized by growth delay, intellectual disability and early onset epilepsy, that is caused by biallelic partial loss-of-function mutations in GPI biosynthetic genes. Identification and characterization of 25 biosynthetic genes by Kinoshita made foundation for many basic and clinical studies on GPI-APs and GPI-related diseases.