Prof. Yoav Henis

In In 1974 received B.Sc. Cum Laude (Chemistry and Biochemistry) from the Hebrew University. In 1978 graduated as Ph.D. at the Hebrew University, studying protein interactions; for the PhD thesis, he won the Kennedy-Lee prize. During his postdoctoral studies (Cornell University, NY and Washington University in St. Louis, MO), specialized in optical biophysical methods to study protein dynamics in cell membranes. Prof. Henis established his lab at Tel Aviv University in 1981. He served as the head of the Department of Neurobiology (1995-1998), and as the Vice President for Research and Development of Tel Aviv University (2012-2020).

Our research is in cell membrane biophysics, with focus on the interactions and signaling of transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) superfamily receptors (TGF-b, activin and BMP receptors) and their relation to  cancer and metastasis. We investigate the molecular interactions of these receptors, their membrane and domain organization, and their relation to downstream signaling. We have developed novel variations of Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) to measure quantitatively the dynamics of complex formation between membrane receptors and their membrane interaction dynamics in live cells, as well as the effects of changes in cholesterol-enriched membrane domains (lipid rafts) due to altered levels of cholesterol on these parameters and on signaling. Recently, we apply these techniques to study liquid-liquid phase separation of transcription factors in cells.

Ongoing projects include: 

• Mechanism of cell growth inhibition and anti-tumor activity of TGF-b superfamily receptors

• Endocytosis of activin and BMP receptors and its roles in signaling via specific pathways

• Mechanisms of the formation, dynamics and roles of biocondensates, focusing on the TAZ transcription factor

Selected publications.  The full list of publications can be viewed at the NIH National Library of Medicine site: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/yoav.henis.1/bibliography/public/

Sharma S, Ehrlich M, Zhang M, Blobe GC, Henis YI. NRP1 interacts with endoglin and VEGFR2 to modulate VEGF signaling and endothelial cell sprouting. Commun. Biol. 2024, 7:112.

Szilágyi SS, Burdzinski W, Jatzlau J, Ehrlich M, Knaus P, Henis YI. The Activation of the Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva-Inducing ALK2-R206H mutant depends on the distinct homo-oligomerization patterns of ACVR2B and ACVR2A. Cells. 2024, 13(3).

Chaudhary R, Goodman LS, Wang S, Asimakopoulos A, Weiskirchen R, Dooley S, Ehrlich M, Henis YI. Cholesterol modulates type I/II TGF-β receptor complexes and alters the balance between Smad and Akt signaling in hepatocytes. Commun. Biol. 2024, 7:8.

Wang S, Link F, Han M, Chaudhary R, Asimakopoulos A, Liebe R, Yao Y, Hammad S, Dropmann A, Krizanac M, Rubie C, Feiner LK, Glanemann M, Ebert MPA, Weiskirchen R, Henis YI, Ehrlich M, Dooley S. The Interplay of TGF-β1 and cholesterol orchestrating hepatocyte cell fate, EMT, and signals for HSC activation. Cell. Mol. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2024, 17:567-587.

Horst B, Pradhan S, Chaudhary R, Listik E, Quintero-Macias L, Choi AS, Southard M, Liu Y, Whitaker R, Hempel N, Berchuck A, Nixon AB, Lee NY, Henis YI, Mythreye K. Hypoxia-induced inhibin promotes tumor growth and vascular permeability in ovarian cancers. Commun. Biol. 2022, 5:536. 

Shapira KE, Shapira G, Schmukler E, Pasmanik-Chor M, Shomron N, Pinkas-Kramarski R, Henis YI, Ehrlich M. Autophagy is induced and modulated by cholesterol depletion through transcription of autophagy-related genes and attenuation of flux. Cell Death Discov. 2021, 7:320.

Tazat K, Pomeraniec-Abudy L, Hector-Greene M, Szilágyi SS, Sharma S, Cai EM, Corona AL, Ehrlich M, Blobe GC, Henis YI. ALK1 regulates the internalization of endoglin and the type III TGF-β receptor. Mol. Biol. Cell. 2021, 32:605-621.

Lu Y, Wu T, Gutman O, Lu H, Zhou Q, Henis YI, Luo K. Phase separation of TAZ compartmentalizes the transcription machinery to promote gene expression. Nat. Cell Biol. 2020, 22:453-464.

Shapira KE, Ehrlich M, Henis YI. Cholesterol depletion enhances TGF-β Smad signaling by increasing c-Jun expression through a PKR-dependent mechanism. Mol. Biol. Cell. 2018, 29:2494-2507.

Amsalem AR, Marom B, Shapira KE, Hirschhorn T, Preisler L, Paarmann P, Knaus P, Henis YI, Ehrlich M. Differential regulation of translation and endocytosis of alternatively spliced forms of the type II bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor. Mol. Biol. Cell. 2016, 27:716-30.

Gottlieb-Abraham E, Shvartsman DE, Donaldson JC, Ehrlich M, Gutman O, Martin GS, Henis YI. Src-mediated caveolin-1 phosphorylation affects the targeting of active Src to specific membrane sites. Mol. Biol. Cell. 2013, 24:3881-95.

Tazat K, Harsat M, Goldshmid-Shagal A, Ehrlich M, Henis YI. Dual effects of Ral-activated pathways on p27 localization and TGF-β signaling. Mol. Biol. Cell. 2013, 24:1812-24.

Shapira KE, Gross A, Ehrlich M, Henis YI. Coated pit-mediated endocytosis of the type I transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) receptor depends on a di-leucine family signal and is not required for signaling. J. Biol. Chem. 2012, 287:26876-89.

Wolfenson H, Bershadsky A., Henis YI, Geiger B. Actomyosin-generated tension controls the molecular kinetics of focal adhesions. J. Cell Sci. 2011, 124:1425-1432.

Eisenberg S., Beckett AJ, Prior IA, Dekker FJ., Hedberg C., Waldmann H., Ehrlich M., Henis YI Raft protein clustering alters N-Ras membrane interactions and activation pattern. Mol. Cell Biol. 2011, 31:3938-3952.