Prof. Joel Hirsch
Research work
We are interested in the structural biology of cellular signaling especially in neurobiology. We have focused on several systems that play key roles in signal transduction. Our goals are to obtain a mechanistic understanding of these molecules; how they interact, transmit and respond to various cues on the most basic level of physics and chemistry; and how this understanding can forge greater progress in comprehending the general biology to which they are pivotal.
Research areas:
Calcium signalling, using voltage-dependent calcium channels and protein calcium sensors.
Electrical signaling, using voltage-dependent potassium channels.
Protein signaling, using G-protein regulation and protein kinases.
Areas of interest & scientific knowledge
Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience
System & Physiological Neuroscience
Specialization
BiophysicsSelected Publications
- Gomez-Llorente, Y., Jebara, F., Patra, M., Malik, R., Nisemblat, S., Chomsky-Hecht, O., Parnas, A., Azem, A.*, Hirsch, J. A.*, and I. Ubarretxena-Belandia*. (2020). “Structural basis for active single and double ring complexes in human mitochondrial Hsp60-Hsp10 chaperonin.” Nature Communications, 11: 1916. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32317635/
- Tobelaim, W.S., Dvir, M., Lebel, G. , Cui, M., Buki, T., Peretz, A., Marom, M., Haitin, Y., Logothetis, D.E., Hirsch, J.A., and B. Attali. (2017). “Competition of calcified calmodulin N lobe and PIP2 to an LQT mutation site in Kv7.1 channel.” Proc Natl Acad Sci, 114: E869.
- Sachyani, D., Dvir, M., Strulovich, R., Ben-Tal Cohen, E., Tria, G., Tobelaim, W., Peretz, A., Pongs, O., Svergun, D., Attali, B., and J. A. Hirsch. (2014). “Structural Basis of a Kv7.1 Potassium Channel Gating Module: Studies of the Intracellular C-terminal Domain in Complex with Calmodulin.” Structure, 22: 1582. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25441029
- Almagor, L., Chomsky-Hecht, O., Ben-Mocha, A., Hendin-Barak, D., Dascal, N., and J. A. Hirsch. (2012). “The Role of a Voltage-dependent Ca2+ Channel Intracellular Linker: A Structure-Function Analysis.” J Neuroscience, 32:7602. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22649239
- Opatowsky, Y., Chen, C-C., Campbell, K. P., and J. A. Hirsch. (2004). “Structural Analysis of the Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channel Beta Subunit Functional Core and Its Complex with the Alpha1 Interaction Domain.” Neuron, 42: 387. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15134636
