Publications

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* designates equal contributions

42. Yoon PH#, Docter TA#, Zhang Z#, Loi K, Valentin-Alvarado LE, Brohawn SG, Doudna JA. Triplex formation drives noncontiguous VIPR RNA-guided DNA recognition. bioRxiv 10.64898/2026.04.26.720927 (2026).

41. Yoon PH, Loi K, Zhang Z, Docter TA, Lopez SC, Langeberg CJ, Moez Ur-Rehman M, Vohra K, Zhou Z, Shi H, Boger R, Wang PY, Adler BA, Brohawn SG, Doudna JA. A Noncontiguous Code for RNA-Guided DNA Recognition Preceded CRISPR. bioRxiv 10.64898/2026.04.26.720920 (2026).

40. Lurie A, Kern DM, Henn K & Brohawn SG. Assembly and lipid-gating of LRRC8A:D volume-regulated anion channels. Nature Communications Dec 12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-67052-5 (2025).

39. Docter T, Lee NS, Reid MS & Brohawn SG. Structural basis for proton inhibition of the two-pore domain K+ channel TASK-1 bioRxiv 10.1101/2025.04.23.650279 (2025)

38. Fong VC#, Le BM#, Stefanov A, Lee V, Park S, Sivakumar A, Spatny S, Visel M, Taylor WR, Brohawn SG & Flannery JG. Optogenetic restoration of high-sensitivity vision using ChRmine- and ChroME-based channelrhodopsins. Scientific Reports 15:21204 (2025).

37. Docter T, Sorum B, Deshmane R, Doubravsky C & Brohawn SG. Cannabinoid inhibition of mechanosensitive K+ channels. bioRxiv 10:2024.12.09.627564 (2024).

36. Dutta M#, Dolan KA#, Amiar S#, Bass EJ, Sultana R, Voth GA§, Brohawn SG§ & Stahelin RV§. Direct lipid interactions control SARS-CoV-2 M protein conformational dynamics and virus assembly. bioRxiv 2024.11.04.620124 (2024).

35. Yu Y, Zhang L, Li B, Fu Z, Brohawn SG, Isacoff EY. Coupling sensor to enzyme in the voltage sensing phosphatase. Nature Communications 15, 6409 (2024).

34. Sorum B#, Docter T#, Panico V, Rietmeijer R & Brohawn SG. Tension activation of mechanosensitive two-pore domain K+ channels TRAAK, TREK-1, and TREK-2. Nature Communications 15, 3142 (2024).

33. Kern DM, Bleier J, Mukherjee S, Hill JM, Kossiakoff AA, Isacoff EY & Brohawn SG. Structural basis for assembly and lipid-mediated gating of LRRC8A:C volume-regulated anion channels. Nature Structure and Molecular Biology 8:841-852 (2023).

32. Dolan KA, Dutta M, Kern DM, Kotecha A, Voth GA & Brohawn SG. Structure of SARS-CoV-2 M protein in lipid nanodiscs. eLife Oct 20;11:e81702 (2022).

31. Hoel C#, Zhang L# & Brohawn SG. Structure of the GOLD-domain seven-transmembrane helix protein family member TMEM87A. eLife Nov 14;11:e81704 (2022).

30. Tucker K, Sridharan S, Adesnik H§ & Brohawn SG§. Cryo-EM structures of the channelrhodopsin ChRmine in lipid nanodiscs. Nature Communications 13, 4842 (2022).

29. Turney TS, Li V & Brohawn SG. Structural Basis for pH-Gating of the K+ Channel TWIK1 at the Selectivity Filter. Nature Communications 13, 3232 (2022).

28. Sridharan S#, Gajowa M#, Ogando MB#, Jagadisan U#, Abdeladim L, Sadahiro M, Bounds H, Hendricks WD, Tayler I, Gopakumar K, Oldenburg IA, Brohawn SG & Adesnik H. High performance microbial opsins for spatially and temporally precise perturbations of large neuronal networks. Neuron S0896-6273(22)00008-3 (2022).

27. Gunasekar SK#, Xie L#, Chheda PR, Kang C, Kern DM, My-Ta C, Kumar A, Maurer J, Gerber EE, Grzesik WJ, Elliot-Hudson M, Zhang Y, Kulkarni CA, Samuel I, Smith JK, Nau P, Imai Y, Sheldon RD, Taylor EB, Lerner DJ, Norris AW, Brohawn SG, Kerns R & Sah R. Small molecule SWELL1-LRRC8 complex induction improves glycemic control and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in murine Type 2 diabetes. Nature Communications 13, 784 (2022).

26. Li, B#, Hoel, C# & Brohawn SG. Structures of Tweety Homolog Proteins TTYH2 and TTYH3 reveal a Ca2+-dependent switch from intra- to inter-membrane dimerization. Nature Communications 12, 6913 (2021).

25. Rietmeijer RA#, Sorum B#, Li B & Brohawn SG. The mechanistic basis for distinct leak and mechanically gated activity of the human two-pore domain K+ channel TRAAK. Neuron 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.009 (2021).

24. Kern DM, Sorum B#, Mali SM#, Hoel CM#, Sridharan S, Remis JP, Toso DB, Kotecha A, Bautista DM§ & Brohawn SG§. Cryo-EM structure of the SARS-CoV-2 3a ion channel in lipid nanodiscs. Nature Structure and Molecular Biology doi:10.1038/s41594-021-00619-0 (2021).

23. Wang JY, Hoel CM, Al-Shayeb B, Banfield JF, Brohawn SG & Doudna JA. Structural coordination between active sites of a Cas6-reverse transcriptase-Cas1—Cas2 CRISPR integrase complex. Nature Communications 12, 2571 (2021).

22. Kern DM & Brohawn SG. SARS-CoV-2 3a expression, purification, and reconstitution into lipid nanodiscs. Methods in Enzymology https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.mie.2020.12.020 (2021).

21. Sorum B, Rietmeijer RA, Gopakumar K, Adesnik H§ & Brohawn SG§. Ultrasound activates mechanosensitive TRAAK K+ channels directly through the lipid membrane. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118 (6) e2006980118 (2021).

20. Li B#, Rietmeijer RA# & Brohawn SG. Structural basis for pH-gating of the two-pore domain K+ channel TASK2. Nature. 586(7829):457-462 (2020).

19. Reid MS, Kern DM, & Brohawn SG. Cryo-EM structure of the potassium/chloride cotransporter KCC4 in lipid nanodiscs. eLife 8:e50403 (2020).

18. Brohawn SG#, Wang W#, Schwarz J, Handler A Campbell EB, & MacKinnon R. The mechanosensitive ion channel TRAAK is localized to the mammalian node of Ranvier. eLife 8:e50403 (2019).

17. Kern DM, Oh S, Hite RK§, & Brohawn SG§. Cryo-EM structures of the DCPIB-inhibited volume-regulated anion channel LRRC8A in lipid nanodiscs. eLife. 8:e42636. (2019).

16. Mardinly AR#, Oldenburg, IA#, Pégard NC#, Sridharan S, Lyalkl E, Chesnov K, Brohawn SG, Waller L & Adesnik H. Precise bidirectional spatiotemporal control of neural activity. Nature Neuroscience. 21(6):881-893. (2018).

15. del Mármol JI#, Rietmeijer RA# & Brohawn SG. Studying mechanosensitive K+ channels in cellular and reconstituted proteoliposome membranes. Methods in Molecular Biology. 1684:129-150. (2018).

Prior to UC Berkeley

14. Brohawn SG. How ion channels sense mechanical force: insights from mechanosensitive K2P channels TRAAK, TREK1, and TREK2. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1352, 20-32 (2015).

13.Brohawn SG, Campbell EB & MacKinnon R. Physical mechanism for gating and mechanosensitivity of the human TRAAK K+ channel. Nature 516 (7529), 126-30 (2014).

12. Brohawn SG, Su Z & MacKinnon R. Mechanosensitivity is mediated directly by the lipid membrane in TRAAK and TREK1 K+ channels. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, 3614–3619 (2014).

11. Brohawn SG, Campbell EB & MacKinnon R. Domain-swapped chain connectivity and gated membrane access in a Fab-mediated crystal of the human TRAAK K+ channel. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110, 2129–2134 (2013).

10. Brohawn SG, del Mármol J & MacKinnon R. Crystal structure of the human K2P TRAAK, a lipid- and mechano-sensitive K+ ion channel. Science 335, 436–441 (2012).

9. Brohawn SG & Schwartz TU. Molecular architecture of the Nup84-Nup145C-Sec13 edge element in the nuclear pore complex lattice. Nature Structure and Molecular Biology 16, 1173–1177 (2009).

8. Brohawn SG#, Partridge JR#, Whittle JRR# & Schwartz TU. The nuclear pore complex has entered the atomic age. Structure 17, 1156–1168 (2009).

7. Brohawn SG & Schwartz TU. A lattice model of the nuclear pore complex. Communicative and Integrated Biology 2, 205–207 (2009).

6. Leksa NC#, Brohawn SG# & Schwartz TU. The structure of the scaffold nucleoporin Nup120 reveals a new and unexpected domain architecture. Structure 17, 1082–1091 (2009).

5. Rich RL, [149 others including Brohawn SG] & Myszka DG. A global benchmark study using affinity-based biosensors. Analytical Biochemistry 386, 194–216 (2009).

4. Brohawn SG#, Leksa NC#, Spear ED, Rajashankar K & Schwartz TU. Structural evidence for common ancestry of the nuclear pore complex and vesicle coats. Science 322, 1369–1373 (2008).

3. Schwartz TU, Schmidt D, Brohawn SG & Blobel G. Homodimerization of the G protein SRbeta in the nucleotide-free state involves proline cis/trans isomerization in the switch II region. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103, 6823–6828 (2006).

2. Cline DJ, Redding SE, Brohawn SG, Psathas JN, Schneider JP & Thorpe C. New water-soluble phosphines as reductants of disulfide bonds. Biochemistry 43, 15195–15203 (2004).

1. Brohawn SG, Miksa IR & Thorpe C. Avian sulfhydral oxidase is not a metalloenzyme: adventitious binding of divalent metal ions to the enzyme. Biochemistry 42, 11074–11082 (2003).