Takashi Okada

Research Interests

Animal Cell and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Developmental Biology Genetics Plant Cell and Molecular Biology Reproductive Biology Fertility and Conception

Dr Takashi Okada

Grant Funded Researcher (A)

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

College of Sciences

Takashi completed his PhD at the Tohoku University Japan for his study on immunological and biological characterization of Brassica pollen allergen. Then, he worked as a pos-doc fellow at University of Melbourne for transcriptome analysis of male gametic cells and identification of male gamete-specific histone H3. He also worked as a senior pos-doc fellow in CSIRO for genetic analysis of asexual seed formation induced by unreduced gamete formation and parthenogenesis. He joined University of Adelaide in 2012, working as a unit leader of the DuPont Pioneer Hybrid Wheat Project, focused on floral architecture. Since December 2019, he has been working on the current project in the Robinson Research Institute at the School of Biomedicine.

Takashi has expertise in molecular biology, developmental and reproductive biology, genetics and bioinformatics. He has been working on multiple scientific research projects for plant and animal reproduction.  Currently, he is working on almond breeding program at School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.

 

 

 

Date Position Institution name
2019 - ongoing NHMRC Grant Pos-doc Fellow Robinson Research Institute
2012 - 2019 Research Fellow Plant Genomics Centre
2008 - 2012 Research Fellow CSIRO
2005 - 2008 Post Doctoral Research Fellow CSIRO
2000 - 2004 Post Doctoral Research Fellow University of Melbourne

Language Competency
English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
Japanese Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

Date Institution name Country Title
1997 - 2000 Tohoku University, Sendai-shi Japan PhD
1995 - 1997 Tohoku University Japan M.Sc.
1990 - 1995 Tohoku University Japan B.Sc

Year Citation
2024 Pallotta, M., Okada, T., Roy, S., Pearson, A., Baumann, U., & Whitford, R. (2024). Diversity in bread and durum wheat stigma morphology and linkage of increased stigma length to dwarfing gene Rht14. Theoretical and Applied Genetics: international journal of plant breeding research, 137(7), 160-1-160-15.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC4
2024 Penn, A., Andreas, E., Okada, T., & St John, J. C. (2024). Nuclear transfer leads to aberrant cell cycle regulation and translation, as determined by gene expression, and selection of mitochondrial DNA in porcine blastocysts. NAR Molecular Medicine, 1(4), ugae018-1-ugae018-22.
DOI Europe PMC2
2024 Andreas, E., Penn, A., Okada, T., & St. John, J. C. (2024). Supplementation of Oocytes by Microinjection with Extra Copies of mtDNA Alters Metabolite Profiles and Interactions with Expressed Genes in a Tissue-Specific Manner. Biomolecules, 14(11), 1477-1-1477-20.
DOI Scopus1 WoS2 Europe PMC3
2023 McIlfatrick, S., O'Leary, S., Okada, T., Penn, A., Nguyen, V. H. T., McKenny, L., . . . St. John, J. C. (2023). Does supplementation of oocytes with additional mtDNA influence developmental outcome?. iScience, 26(2), 105956-1-105956-27.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC5
2023 Okada, T., McIlfatrick, S., & St. John, J. C. (2023). Mitochondrial DNA Deficiency and Supplementation in Sus scrofa Oocytes Influence Transcriptome Profiles in Oocytes and Blastocysts. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(4), 1-26.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC7
2023 Okada, T., Penn, A., & St. John, J. C. (2023). Mitochondrial DNA Supplementation of Oocytes Has Downstream Effects on the Transcriptional Profiles of Sus scrofa Adult Tissues with High mtDNA Copy Number. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(8), 7545.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC5
2022 Okada, T., Sun, X., McIlfatrick, S., & St. John, J. C. (2022). Low guanine content and biased nucleotide distribution in vertebrate mtDNA can cause overestimation of non-CpG methylation. NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics, 4(1), 1-17.
DOI Scopus1 Europe PMC2
2022 Okada, T., McIlfatrick, S., Hin, N., Aryamanesh, N., Breen, J., & St John, J. C. (2022). Mitochondrial supplementation of Sus scrofa metaphase II oocytes alters DNA methylation and gene expression profiles of blastocysts. Epigenetics and Chromatin, 15(1), 20 pages.
DOI Scopus12 WoS15 Europe PMC11
2022 St John, J. C., Okada, T., Andreas, E., & Penn, A. (2022). The role of mtDNA in oocyte quality and embryo development. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 90(7), 621-633.
DOI Scopus25 WoS22 Europe PMC18
2021 Okada, T., Jayasinghe, R. M., Eckermann, P., Watson-Haigh, N. S., Warner, P., Williams, M. E., . . . Whitford, R. (2021). Genetic factors associated with favourable pollinator traits in the wheat cultivar Piko. Functional Plant Biology, 48(4), 434-447.
DOI Scopus6 WoS6 Europe PMC6
2020 Kapetanovic, R., Afroz, S. F., Ramnath, D., Lawrence, G. M. E. P., Okada, T., Curson, J. E. B., . . . Sweet, M. J. (2020). Lipopolysaccharide promotes Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission and associated inflammatory responses in macrophages. Immunology and Cell Biology, 98(7), 528-539.
DOI Scopus63 WoS61 Europe PMC62
2019 Okada, T., Jayasinghe, R. M., Eckermann, P., Watson-Haigh, N. S., Warner, P., Hendrikse, Y., . . . Whitford, R. (2019). Effects of Rht-B1 and Ppd-D1 loci on pollinator traits in wheat. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 132(7), 1965-1979.
DOI Scopus33 WoS32 Europe PMC24
2019 Pallotta, M. A., Warner, P., Kouidri, A., Tucker, E. J., Baes, M., Suchecki, R., . . . Whitford, R. (2019). Wheat ms5 male-sterility is induced by recessive homoeologous A and D genome non-specific lipid transfer proteins. Plant Journal, 99(4), 673-685.
DOI Scopus36 WoS34 Europe PMC24
2018 Kouidri, A., Baumann, U., Okada, T., Baes, M., Tucker, E., & Whitford, R. (2018). Wheat TaMs1 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored lipid transfer protein necessary for pollen development. BMC Plant Biology, 18(1), 13 pages.
DOI Scopus19 WoS20 Europe PMC15
2018 Okada, T., Jayasinghe, R., Nansamba, M., Baes, M., Warner, P., Kouidri, A., . . . Baumann, U. (2018). Unfertilized ovary pushes wheat flower open for cross-pollination. Journal of Experimental Botany, 69(3), 399-412.
DOI Scopus34 WoS31 Europe PMC27
2017 Tucker, E., Baumann, U., Kouidri, A., Suchecki, R., Baes, M., Garcia, M., . . . Whitford, R. (2017). Molecular identification of the wheat male fertility gene Ms1 and its prospects for hybrid breeding. Nature Communications, 8(1), 869-1-869-10.
DOI Scopus94 WoS88 Europe PMC59
2015 Shirasawa, K., Hand, M., Henderson, S., Okada, T., Johnson, S., Taylor, J., . . . Koltunow, A. (2015). A reference genetic linkage map of apomictic Hieracium species based on expressed markers derived from developing ovule transcripts. Annals of Botany, 115(4), 567-580.
DOI Scopus11 WoS9 Europe PMC10
2015 Nguyen, V., Fleury, D., Timmins, A., Laga, H., Hayden, M., Mather, D., & Okada, T. (2015). Addition of rye chromosome 4R to wheat increases anther length and pollen grain number. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 128(5), 953-964.
DOI Scopus44 WoS43 Europe PMC26
2014 Kotani, Y., Henderson, S., Suzuki, G., Johnson, S., Okada, T., Siddons, H., . . . Koltunow, A. (2014). The LOSS OF APOMEIOSIS (LOA) locus in Hieracium praealtum can function independently of the associated large-scale repetitive chromosomal structure. New Phytologist, 201(3), 973-981.
DOI Scopus38 WoS34 Europe PMC27
2013 Whitford, R., Fleury, D., Reif, J., Garcia, M., Okada, T., Korzun, V., & Langridge, P. (2013). Hybrid breeding in wheat: technologies to improve hybrid wheat seed production. Journal of Experimental Botany, 64(18), 5411-5428.
DOI Scopus230 WoS217 Europe PMC139
2013 Okada, T., Hu, Y., Tucker, M., Taylor, J., Johnson, S., Spriggs, A., . . . Koltunow, A. (2013). Enlarging cells initiating apomixis in Hieracium praealtum transition to an embryo sac program prior to entering mitosis. Plant Physiology, 163(1), 216-231.
DOI Scopus59 WoS55 Europe PMC54
2013 Garmatiuk, T., Swoboda, I., Twardosz-Kropfmüller, A., Dall’Antonia, F., Keller, W., Singh, M. B., . . . Valenta, R. (2013). Characterization of mutants of a highly cross-reactive calcium-binding protein from Brassica pollen for allergen-specific immunotherapy. Immunobiology, 218(9), 1155-1165.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC4
2012 Tucker, M., Okada, T., Johnson, S., Takaiwa, F., & Koltunow, A. (2012). Sporophytic ovule tissues modulate the initiation and progression of apomixis in Hieracium. Journal of Experimental Biology, 63(8), 3229-3241.
DOI Scopus38 WoS36 Europe PMC32
2012 Tucker, M., Okada, T., Hu, Y., Scholefield, A., Taylor, J., & Koltunow, A. (2012). Somatic small RNA pathways promote the mitotic events of megagametogenesis during female reproductive development in arabidopsis. Development, 139(8), 1399-1404.
DOI Scopus153 WoS142 Europe PMC126
2011 Okada, T., Ito, K., Johnson, S., Oelkers, K., Suzuki, G., Houben, A., . . . Koltunow, A. (2011). Chromosomes carrying meiotic avoidance loci in three apomictic eudicot Hieracium subgenus Pilosella species share structural features with two monocot apomicts. Plant Physiology, 157(3), 1327-1341.
DOI Scopus44 WoS40 Europe PMC35
2011 Koltunow, A., Johnson, S., & Okada, T. (2011). Apomixis in hawkweed: Mendel's experimental nemesis. Journal of Experimental Botany, 62(5), 1699-1707.
DOI Scopus28 WoS25 Europe PMC21
2011 Koltunow, A. M., Johnson, S. D., Rodrigues, J. C., Okada, T., Hu, Y., Tsuchiya, T., . . . Bicknell, R. A. (2011). Sexual reproduction is the default mode in apomictic Hieracium subgenus Pilosella, in which two dominant loci function to enable apomixis. The Plant Journal, 66(5), 890-902.
DOI Scopus93 WoS87 Europe PMC73
2010 Rodrigues, J. C., Okada, T., Johnson, S. D., & Koltunow, A. M. (2010). A multicopy suppressor of IRA1 (MSI1) homologue is not associated with the switch to autonomous seed development in apomictic (asexual) Hieracium plants. Plant Science, 179(6), 590-597.
DOI Scopus12 WoS10 Europe PMC4
2007 Okada, T., Singh, M. B., & Bhalla, P. L. (2007). Transcriptome profiling of Lilium longiflorum generative cells by cDNA microarray. Plant Cell Reports, 26(7), 1045-1052.
DOI Scopus39 WoS37 Europe PMC28
2007 Okada, T., Catanach, A. S., Johnson, S. D., Bicknell, R. A., & Koltunow, A. M. (2007). An Hieracium mutant, loss of apomeiosis 1 (loa1) is defective in the initiation of apomixis. Sexual Plant Reproduction, 20(4), 199-211.
DOI Scopus23 WoS21 Europe PMC3
2006 Okada, T., Singh, M. B., & Bhalla, P. L. (2006). Histone H3 variants in male gametic cells of lily and H3 methylation in mature pollen. Plant Molecular Biology, 62(4), 503-512.
DOI Scopus37 WoS37 Europe PMC28
2006 Okada, T., Bhalla, P. L., & Singh, M. B. (2006). Expressed sequence tag analysis of Lilium longiflorum generative cells. Plant and Cell Physiology, 47(6), 698-705.
DOI Scopus49 WoS44 Europe PMC34
2005 Okada, T., Endo, M., Singh, M. B., & Bhalla, P. L. (2005). Analysis of the histone H3 gene family in Arabidopsis and identification of the male-gamete-specific variant AtMGH3. Plant Journal, 44(4), 557-568.
DOI Scopus191 WoS181 Europe PMC161
2005 Okada, T., Bhalla, P. L., & Singh, M. B. (2005). Transcriptional activity of male gamete-specific histone gcH3 promoter in sperm cells of Lilium longiflorum. Plant and Cell Physiology, 46(5), 797-802.
DOI Scopus26 WoS27 Europe PMC18
2003 Okada, A., Okada, T., Ide, T., Itoh, M., Tanaka, K., Takaiwa, F., & Toriyama, K. (2003). Accumulation of Japanese cedar pollen allergen, Cry j 1, in the protein body I of transgenic rice seeds using the promoter and signal sequence of glutelin GluB-1 gene. Molecular Breeding, 12(1), 61-70.
DOI Scopus13 WoS6 Europe PMC3
2001 Okada, T., & Toriyama, K. (2001). Pollen vegetative cell-specific expression of Bra r 1: Useful tool for observation of the vegetative nucleus and identification of transgenic pollen by nuclear-targeted GFP. Sexual Plant Reproduction, 13(6), 301-307.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC1
2000 Okada, T., Sasaki, Y., Ohta, R., Onozuka, N., & Toriyama, K. (2000). Expression of Bra r 1 gene in transgenic tobacco and Bra r 1 promoter activity in pollen of various plant species. Plant and Cell Physiology, 41(6), 757-766.
DOI Scopus14 WoS14 Europe PMC10
1999 Okada, T., Zhang, Z., Russell, S. D., & Toriyama, K. (1999). Localization of the Ca2+-binding protein, Bra r 1, in anthers and pollen tubes. Plant and Cell Physiology, 40(12), 1243-1252.
DOI Scopus26 WoS25 Europe PMC15
1998 Okada, T., Swoboda, I., Bhalla, P. L., Toriyama, K., & Singh, M. B. (1998). Engineering of hypoallergenic mutants of the Brassica pollen allergen, Bra r 1, for immunotherapy. FEBS Letters, 434(3), 255-260.
DOI Scopus55 WoS46 Europe PMC38
1998 Toriyama, K., Hanaoka, K., Okada, T., & Watanabe, M. (1998). Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding a pollen extracellular protein as a potential source of a pollen allergen in Brassica rapa. FEBS Letters, 424(3), 234-238.
DOI Scopus40 WoS37 Europe PMC24
1997 Toriyama, K., Okada, T., Hanaoka, K., Watanabe, M., & Hinata, K. (1997). Characterization of genes encoding pollen allergen and pollen coat protein in Brassica rapa.. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 114(3), 1243.
1995 Toriyama, K., Okada, T., Watanabe, M., Ide, T., Ashida, T., Xu, H. L., & Singh, M. B. (1995). A cDNA clone encoding an IgE-binding protein from Brassica anther has significant sequence similarity to Ca²⁺-binding proteins. Plant Molecular Biology, 29(6), 1157-1165.
DOI Scopus47 WoS43 Europe PMC23

Year Citation
2019 Okada, T., & Whitford, R. (2019). Hybrid wheat and abiotic stress. In V. R. Rajpal, D. Sehgal, A. Kumar, & S. N. Raina (Eds.), Genomics Assisted Breeding of Crops for Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Vol. II (Vol. 2, pp. 211-224). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
DOI
2010 Koltunow, A. M., Okada, T., & Bicknell, R. A. (2010). Apomixis. In D. Simberloff, & M. Rejmanek (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions (pp. 24-27). Berkeley: Univ of California Press.
Scopus1

Year Citation
2013 Tucker, E., Okada, T., Warner, P., Manning, S., Baes, M., Kouidri, A., . . . Whitford, R. (2013). Towards the development of a fertility control system for hybrid wheat breeding. Poster session presented at the meeting of Wheat Breeders Assembly. Brisbane, Australia: http://wheatbreedingassembly.com.au/.
2013 Okada, T., Jayasinghe, R., Langridge, P., & Fleury, D. (2013). Screening of a Triticeae germplasm collection for floral architecture traits that enhance out-crossing in wheat for hybrid seed production. Poster session presented at the meeting of The 12th International Wheat Genetics Symposium. Yokohama, Japan.
Date Project/ No. Investigators Funding Body Amount
2025 STEP Research Grant Okada T Robinson Research Institute $15K
2024 Lloyd Cox Grant Okada T University of Adelaide $18K
2015 WRI Equipment Grant Okada T, Mayo G, Waite Research Institute $31K
2013 WRI Equipment Grant Mayo G, Okada T, Waite Research Institute $42K
2010 Transformation Technology Okada T CSIRO Plant Industry $23K

Connect With Me

External Profiles

Other Links