Dr Riko Hatakeyama

Biography

2020- Lecturer (Assistant Professor), University of Aberdeen, UK (Group leader) 

2014-2020 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Fribourg, Switzerland (with Prof Claudio De Virgilio)

2011-2014 Postdoctoral Fellow, Brandeis University, USA (with Prof Satoshi Yoshida)

2006-2011 PhD student, The University of Tokyo, Japan (with Prof Tatsuya Maeda)

2002-2006 Undergraduate student, The University of Tokyo, Japan (Thesis with Prof Katsuhiko Kitamoto)

Research Overview

Cell Growth Signalling in Space: Our lab studies how individual cells sense and respond to environmental changes. Our particular focus is the protein kinase complex Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1, or mTORC1), a master regulator of cell growth. TORC1 adjusts cell growth in response to diverse external stimuli such as nutrients, hormones and stresses (reviewed in Hatakeyama, 2021 Biomolecules). TORC1 regulates a wide range of cellular processes operating at diverse subcellular locations (organelles). We aim to understand how TORC1 receives signals from, and sends signals to, different locations. By combining various techniques of genetics, biochemistry, cell biology and bioinformatics in yeast and mammalian cell models, our lab tries to fill the existing gap between the signalling and the organelle research fields.

Spatially and Functionally Distinct TORC1 Pools: We identified distinct subcellular pools of TORC1 in the yeast model (Hatakeyama et al., 2019 Mol Cell). Two TORC1 pools localise to vacuoles (equivalent to mammalian lysosomes) and perivacuolar signalling endosomes, where they perform distinct biological functions through locally phosphorylating specific substrates. The concept of spatially and functionally distinct TORC1 pools has since been extended to mammalian cells (reviewed in Pan et al., 2026 Curr Opin Cell Biol), establishing the subcellular 'division of labour' as a new paradigm of TORC1 research. We currently study how distinct TORC1 pools are differentially regulated by upstream regulatory cues.

TORC1-containing Signalling Endosomes: The endosomal population that accommodates TORC1, coined signalling endosomes, is a novel organelle with distinct protein/lipid composition compared to canonical endosomes. Their mode of biogenesis is unique, as signalling endosomes originate from the vacuolar membrane (Muneshige and Hatakeyama, 2025 J Cell Biol). There remain many questions around formation, function, and regulation of signalling endosomes. We are investigating the roles of signalling endosomes in intracellular signalling and trafficking, as well as their evolutionary conservation in mammalian cells.

Distinct TORC1 Pools as a Potential Clinical Breakthrough: TORC1 is a promising therapeutic target due to its link to many conditions including cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and aging. However, because TORC1 regulates virtually all aspects of cell physiology, the clinical benefit of targeting TORC1 has been limited by unwanted side effects. Our work on dissecting distinct TORC1 pools could provide a solution by enabling selective manipulation of a desired subset of TORC1 functions, promising a safer and more effective therapeutic approach. We aim to achieve pool/substrate-specific TORC1 manipulation in human cells by, for example, pharmacologically targeting upstream G protein-coupled receptors (Atkinson et al., 2026, Biochem J).

Selected publications: original research articles

• Atkinson SJ, Negoita F, Ioi Y, Ritchie WV, Thompson K, Gardner M, Ashdown PT, Hellberg K, Takahara T, Sakamoto K, Thompson D, Hislop JN, Hatakeyama R. (2026) Substrate-specific regulation of the mTORC1 pathway by G protein-coupled receptors. Biochemical Journal. 483(10):1817-1834.
• Muneshige K and Hatakeyama R. (2025) Vacuoles provide the source membrane for TORC1-containing signaling endosomes. Journal of Cell Biology. 224 (5): e202407021.
• Hatakeyama R, Péli-Gulli MP, Hu Z, Jaquenoud M, Garcia Osuna GM, Sardu A, Dengjel J, De Virgilio C. (2019) Spatially distinct pools of TORC1 balance protein homeostasis. Molecular Cell. 73:325-338.

Selected publications: review articles

• Pan J, Fernandes SA, Hatakeyama R, Demetriades C. (2026) Substrate selectivity as a paradigm shift in mTORC1 signaling. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 101:102664.
• Hatakeyama R. (2021) Pib2 as an Emerging Master Regulator of Yeast TORC1. Biomolecules. 11(10), 1489.

Funding and Grants

As the Lead applicant

• Tenovus Scotland Research Grant (2025-2027), "Metabolic checkpoint model for fungal cell growth control", £13,800.
• BBSRC New Investigator Research Grant (2022-2025), "Separate pools for distinct outputs: Division of labour in the TORC1 cell growth signalling pathway", £529,826.
• Royal Society of Edinburgh SAPHIRE Fund (2024), "The origin of autophagosome", £8,367.
• BBSRC International Partnering Awards (2023-2024), "How G-protein coupled receptors regulate TORC1 pathway: Does receptor trafficking signal cell growth?", £22,487.
• Daiwa Foundation Small Grant (2021), "Short stay of an early-career scientist for research collaboration (regulatory mechanism of Rho protein)", £2,850.
• Wellcome Trust ISSF Seed Corn Fund (2021), "Visualizing the subcellular postcode PI(3,5)P2", £7,300.

As a Co-applicant

• BBSRC ALERT (2026) “High Pressure Freezing: Powering World-Class Ultrastructural Research at The University of Aberdeen” Lead: Dr Gillian Milne (University of Aberdeen), £459,335.
• BSCB one-day meeting funding (2026) “Scottish Cell Biology meeting” Lead: Prof. Stephen Tait (University of Glasgow), £1,500.
• BSCB one-day meeting funding (2025) “Scottish Cell Biology meeting” Lead: Dr. Carine de Marcos (University of Dundee), £1,500.
• Tenovus Scotland Research Grant (2023-2024), "Combatting multidrug resistance: Inducing degradation of multidrug transporters in the pathogenic fungus Candida glabrata", Lead: Dr Takashi Kubota (University of Aberdeen), £12,000.