Henrik Dohlman

About

Henrik Gunnar Dohlman, PhD, is the Sanford Steelman Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his PhD under the mentorship of 2012 Nobel Laureate Bob Lefkowitz at a nearby rival university. Following his doctoral studies, Henrik completed postdoctoral training with Jeremy Thorner at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1993, he became a professor of pharmacology at Yale University before relocating to UNC in 2001.

Research topics

• Cell biology
• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Computational biology
• Biophysics
• Genetics

Selected publications

• A universal allosteric mechanism for G protein activation

  Molecular Cell · 2021 · 70 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  DOI

• Molecular annotation of G protein variants in a neurological disorder

  Cell Reports · 2023-11-18 · 22 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Heterotrimeric G proteins transduce extracellular chemical messages to generate appropriate intracellular responses. Point mutations in GNAO1, encoding the G protein αo subunit, have been implicated in a pathogenic condition characterized by seizures, movement disorders, intellectual disability, and developmental delay (GNAO1 disorder). However, the effects of these mutations on G protein structure and function are unclear. Here, we report the effects of 55 mutations on Gαo conformation, thermos…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Catalytic site mutations confer multiple states of G protein activation

  Science Signaling · 2023-02-14 · 20 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding proteins (G proteins) that function as molecular switches for cellular growth and metabolism are activated by GTP and inactivated by GTP hydrolysis. In uveal melanoma, a conserved glutamine residue critical for GTP hydrolysis in the G protein α subunit is often mutated in Gα q or Gα 11 to either leucine or proline. In contrast, other glutamine mutations or mutations in other Gα subtypes are rare. To uncover the mechanism of the genetic selection and the…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Multi-omics analysis of glucose-mediated signaling by a moonlighting Gβ protein Asc1/RACK1

  PLoS Genetics · 2021 · 18 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  Heterotrimeric G proteins were originally discovered through efforts to understand the effects of hormones, such as glucagon and epinephrine, on glucose metabolism. On the other hand, many cellular metabolites, including glucose, serve as ligands for G protein-coupled receptors. Here we investigate the consequences of glucose-mediated receptor signaling, and in particular the role of a Gα subunit Gpa2 and a non-canonical Gβ subunit, known as Asc1 in yeast and RACK1 in animals. Asc1/RACK1 is of p…

  DOI

• Potassium starvation induces autophagy in yeast

  Journal of Biological Chemistry · 2020 · 18 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  We found that potassium-dependent autophagy requires the core pathway kinases Atg1, Atg5, and Vps34, and other components of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex. Transmission EM revealed abundant autophagosome formation in response to both stimuli. RNA-Seq indicated distinct transcriptional responses: nitrogen affects transport of ions such as copper, whereas potassium targets the organization of other cellular components. Thus, nitrogen and potassium share the ability to influence molecul…

  DOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01GM073180

  NIH · $2.6M · 2013

• NIH Grant R01GM080739

  NIH · $2.6M · 2015

• G protein regulation by monoubiquitination

  NIH · $1.1M · 2013–2017

Frequent coauthors

• Robert J. Lefkowitz

  39 shared

• Marc G. Caron

  Duke University Hospital

  37 shared

• Timothy C. Elston

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  36 shared

• Yuqi Wang

  Tianjin University

  33 shared

• Vera Bianchi

  University of Padua

  33 shared

• Roger Colbran

  33 shared

• George Demartino

  The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

  32 shared

• Erin Connolly

  Mitchell Institute

  31 shared

Labs

• Dohlman LabPI

Education

• PhD, Biochemistry

  Duke University Graduate School

  1988

• BA, Chemistry

  Wesleyan University

  1982

Similar researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Michael Rubinsteinh-90
• Ronald Swanstromh-83
• William Marzluffh-78