Prof. Yoni Haitin

The Haitin lab is interested in deciphering the structure-function relationships governing the cellular activity of proteins. Our research is subdivided into two intertwined fields: (i) deciphering the structure-function relationships governing proteins’ cellular activities, and (ii) elucidating the molecular mechanisms dictating protein function in health and disease. Specifically, by utilizing cutting-edge biochemical and biophysical approaches, we delineate the structural mechanisms underlying the activity of two types of essential cellular enzymes: ion channels, catalyzing the movement of ions across cell membranes, and prenyltransferases, synthesizing moieties for chemical modification of proteins. 

Working on deciphering structure-function relations underlying the elusive activity of members of the abundant Cl- intracellular channel (CLIC) family, we recently exposed their unexpected ability to facilitate membrane fusion in vitro and in vivo (Manori et al., Nat Comm., 2024). Furthermore, studying the cancer-related TTYH channel family, we unraveled their innate tetrameric organization at the cell membrane (Melvin et al., Comm Biol., 2022). Finally, we made significant progress towards providing a complete mechanistic understanding of the human cis-prenyltransferase (hcis-PT) assembly and function, a membrane-delimited crucial constituent of the protein glycosylation pathway, unveiling its heterotetrameric complex stoichiometry (Bar-El et al., Nat Comm., 2020) and resolving the structural basis of its catalytic activity (Giladi et al., Sci Adv., 2022).