Heidelberg University
Centre for Organismal Studies logo

Cell Biology Dr. Stefan Hillmer

Since 2015 the COS Electron Microscope Facility is part of the Electron Microscopy Core Facility of the Universisty of Heidelberg (EMCF). The EMCF is located in INF345 and serves the whole campus. If you are interested in getting help with electron microscopy please visit the EMCF website.

 My major emphasis lies in teaching specimen preparation and electron microscopy to students and users of the COS Electron Microscope Facility as well as supporting the research projects of the Department of Plant Developmental Biology.

 

 Personal long term research interests are vacuole biogenesis and protein sorting and trafficking in the secretory system of plant cells. Improvement of methods for transmission electron microscopy, in particular cryomethods for localizing proteins in plant cells have supplement these research interests substantially over the years. pd_wide_r.jpgAs a result high pressure freezing and subsequent freeze substitution with minimal amounts of fixatives added to the substitution medium followed by embedding of the plant material in Lowicry HM20 at low temperatures and UV polymerization has replaced conventional chemical fixation based methods for immunolocalizations on the ultrastructural level in our lab.

This often results in excellent structural preservation as well as immunoreactivity and has allowed numerous collaborations with researchers interested in basic as well as biotechnological research. The image shows the plasmodesmatal connection of two Arabidopsis embryo cells as an example for such excellent structural preservation (MT=Microtuble; CW=Cell Wall; ER=Endoplasmic Reticulum; PD=Plasmodesmus).

Stefan Hillmer TEM-Aufnahme ER Plasmodesmata

Ongoing projects

  •  Identification and characterization of the compartments of the endomembrane system in plants (1)
  •  Autophagy: origin of the autophagosome (2)
  •  Vacuole types and their development in root tips
  •  Sorting of storage proteins in developing legume cotyledons (3)

(1) - with Dr. Liwen Jiang (Biology Dept. Chinese Univ. Hong Kong), (2) - with Dr. Yuji Moriyasu (Univ. Shizuoka, Japan) (3) - with Prof. D.G. Robinson and Dr. G. Hinz

 

Publications

Table filters

Table

Behnke, H.-D., Hummel, E., Hillmer, S., Sauer-Gürth, H., Gonzalez, J., and Wink, M. (2013).A revision of African Velloziaceae based on leaf anatomy characters and rbcL nucleotide sequences Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society172: 22–94.
Lerich A, Hillmer S, Langhans M, Scheuring D, van Bentum P, Robinson DG. (2012). ER Import Sites and Their Relationship to ER Exit Sites: A New Model for Bidirectional ER-Golgi Transport in Higher Plants. 1. Front Plant Sci. 2012;3:143.
Montesinos JC, Sturm S, Langhans M, Hillmer S, Marcote MJ, Robinson DG, Aniento F. (2012). Coupled transport of Arabidopsis p24 proteins at the ER-Golgi interface. J Exp Bot.63(11):4243-61.
Haydon MJ, Kawachi M, Wirtz M, Hillmer S, Hell R, Krämer U. (2012). Vacuolar nicotianamine has critical and distinct roles under iron deficiency and for zinc sequestration in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell.24(2):724-37.
Hillmer S, Viotti C, Robinson DG. (2012). An improved procedure for low-temperature embedding of high-pressure frozen and freeze-substituted plant tissues resulting in excellent structural preservation and contrast. J Microsc.247(1):43-7.
Takatsuka C, Inoue Y, Higuchi T, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Moriyasu Y. (2011). Autophagy in tobacco BY-2 cells cultured under sucrose starvation conditions: isolation of the autolysosome and its characterization. Plant Cell Physiol.52(12):2074-87.
Scheuring D, Viotti C, Krüger F, Künzl F, Sturm S, Bubeck J, Hillmer S, Frigerio L, Robinson DG, Pimpl P, Schumacher K. (2011). Multivesicular bodies mature from the trans-Golgi network/early endosome in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell.23(9):3463-81.
Sorieul M, Langhans M, Guetzoyan L, Hillmer S, Clarkson G, Lord JM, Roberts LM, Robinson DG, Spooner RA, Frigerio L. (2011). An Exo2 derivative affects ER and Golgi morphology and vacuolar sorting in a tissue-specific manner in arabidopsis. Traffic.12(11):1552-62.
Wang H, Zhuang XH, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Jiang LW. (2011). Vacuolar sorting receptor (VSR) proteins reach the plasma membrane in germinating pollen tubes. Mol Plant.4(5):845-53.
Loos A, Van Droogenbroeck B, Hillmer S, Grass J, Pabst M, Castilho A, Kunert R, Liang M, Arcalis E, Robinson DG, Depicker A, Steinkellner H. (2011). Expression of antibody fragments with a controlled N-glycosylation pattern and induction of endoplasmic reticulum-derived vesicles in seeds of Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol.155(4):2036-48.
Loos A, Van Droogenbroeck B, Hillmer S, Grass J, Kunert R, Cao J, Robinson DG, Depicker A, Steinkellner H. (2011). Production of monoclonal antibodies with a controlled N-glycosylation pattern in seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Biotechnol J.9(2):179-92.
Schott A, Ravaud S, Keller S, Radzimanowski J, Viotti C, Hillmer S, Sinning I, Strahl S. (2010). Arabidopsis stromal-derived Factor2 (SDF2) is a crucial target of the unfolded protein response in the endoplasmic reticulum. J Biol Chem.285(23):18113-21.
Wang J, Ding Y, Wang J, Hillmer S, Miao Y, Lo SW, Wang X, Robinson DG, Jiang L. (2010). EXPO, an exocyst-positive organelle distinct from multivesicular endosomes and autophagosomes, mediates cytosol to cell wall exocytosis in Arabidopsis and tobacco cells. Plant Cell.22(12):4009-30.
Vaddepalli P(1), Herrmann A(1), Fulton L(1), Oelschner M(1), Hillmer S(2), Stratil TF(3), Fastner A(4), Hammes UZ(4), Ott T(3), Robinson DG(2), Schneitz K(5). (2014). The C2-domain protein QUIRKY and the receptor-like kinase STRUBBELIG localize to plasmodesmata and mediate tissue morphogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Development.141(21):4139-48.
Eckert C(1), Offenborn JN, Heinz T, Armarego-Marriott T, Schültke S, Zhang C, Hillmer S, Heilmann M, Schumacher K, Bock R, Heilmann I, Kudla J. (2014). The vacuolar calcium sensors CBL2 and CBL3 affect seed size and embryonic development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J.78(1):146-56.
Viotti C(1), Krüger F, Krebs M, Neubert C, Fink F, Lupanga U, Scheuring D, Boutté Y, Frescatada-Rosa M, Wolfenstetter S, Sauer N, Hillmer S, Grebe M, Schumacher K. (2013). The endoplasmic reticulum is the main membrane source for biogenesis of the lytic vacuole in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell.25(9):3434-49.
Montesinos JC(1), Langhans M, Sturm S, Hillmer S, Aniento F, Robinson DG, Marcote MJ. (2013). Putative p24 complexes in Arabidopsis contain members of the delta and beta subfamilies and cycle in the early secretory pathway. J Exp Bot.64(11):3147-67.
Romani G(1), Piotrowski A, Hillmer S, Gurnon J, Van Etten JL, Moroni A, Thiel G, Hertel B. (2013). A virus-encoded potassium ion channel is a structural protein in the chlorovirus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 virion. J Gen Virol.94(Pt 11):2549-56.
Lerich A(1), Hillmer S, Langhans M, Scheuring D, van Bentum P, Robinson DG. (2012). ER Import Sites and Their Relationship to ER Exit Sites: A New Model for Bidirectional ER-Golgi Transport in Higher Plants. Front Plant Sci.3:143.
Montesinos JC(1), Sturm S, Langhans M, Hillmer S, Marcote MJ, Robinson DG, Aniento F. (2012). Coupled transport of Arabidopsis p24 proteins at the ER-Golgi interface. J Exp Bot.63(11):4243-61.
Haydon MJ(1), Kawachi M, Wirtz M, Hillmer S, Hell R, Krämer U. (2012). Vacuolar nicotianamine has critical and distinct roles under iron deficiency and for zinc sequestration in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell.24(2):724-37.
Hillmer S(1), Viotti C, Robinson DG. (2012). An improved procedure for low-temperature embedding of high-pressure frozen and freeze-substituted plant tissues resulting in excellent structural preservation and contrast. J Microsc.247(1):43-7.
Takatsuka C(1), Inoue Y, Higuchi T, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Moriyasu Y. (2011). Autophagy in tobacco BY-2 cells cultured under sucrose starvation conditions: isolation of the autolysosome and its characterization. Plant Cell Physiol.52(12):2074-87.
Scheuring D(1), Viotti C, Krüger F, Künzl F, Sturm S, Bubeck J, Hillmer S, Frigerio L, Robinson DG, Pimpl P, Schumacher K. (2011). Multivesicular bodies mature from the trans-Golgi network/early endosome in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell.23(9):3463-81.
Sorieul M(1), Langhans M, Guetzoyan L, Hillmer S, Clarkson G, Lord JM, Roberts LM, Robinson DG, Spooner RA, Frigerio L. (2011). An Exo2 derivative affects ER and Golgi morphology and vacuolar sorting in a tissue-specific manner in arabidopsis. Traffic.12(11):1552-62.
Wang H(1), Zhuang XH, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Jiang LW. (2011). Vacuolar sorting receptor (VSR) proteins reach the plasma membrane in germinating pollen tubes. Mol Plant.4(5):845-53.
Loos A(1), Van Droogenbroeck B, Hillmer S, Grass J, Pabst M, Castilho A, Kunert R, Liang M, Arcalis E, Robinson DG, Depicker A, Steinkellner H. (2011). Expression of antibody fragments with a controlled N-glycosylation pattern and induction of endoplasmic reticulum-derived vesicles in seeds of Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol.155(4):2036-48.
Wang J(1), Ding Y, Wang J, Hillmer S, Miao Y, Lo SW, Wang X, Robinson DG, Jiang L. (2010). EXPO, an exocyst-positive organelle distinct from multivesicular endosomes and autophagosomes, mediates cytosol to cell wall exocytosis in Arabidopsis and tobacco cells. Plant Cell.22(12):4009-30.
Loos A(1), Van Droogenbroeck B, Hillmer S, Grass J, Kunert R, Cao J, Robinson DG, Depicker A, Steinkellner H. (2011). Production of monoclonal antibodies with a controlled N-glycosylation pattern in seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Biotechnol J.9(2):179-92.
Schott A(1), Ravaud S, Keller S, Radzimanowski J, Viotti C, Hillmer S, Sinning I, Strahl S. (2010). Arabidopsis stromal-derived Factor2 (SDF2) is a crucial target of the unfolded protein response in the endoplasmic reticulum. J Biol Chem.285(23):18113-21.
Wang H(1), Tse YC, Law AH, Sun SS, Sun YB, Xu ZF, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Jiang L. (2009). Vacuolar sorting receptors (VSRs) and secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs) are essential for pollen tube growth. Plant J.61(5):826-38.
Benz C(1), Engstler M, Hillmer S, Clayton C. (2009). Depletion of 14-3-3 proteins in bloodstream-form Trypanosoma brucei inhibits variant surface glycoprotein recycling. Int J Parasitol.40(5):629-34.
Niemes S(1), Langhans M, Viotti C, Scheuring D, San Wan Yan M, Jiang L, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Pimpl P. (2009). Retromer recycles vacuolar sorting receptors from the trans-Golgi network. Plant J.61(1):107-21.
Van Son L(1), Tiedemann J, Rutten T, Hillmer S, Hinz G, Zank T, Manteuffel R, Bäumlein H. (2009). The BURP domain protein AtUSPL1 of Arabidopsis thaliana is destined to the protein storage vacuoles and overexpression of the cognate gene distorts seed development. Plant Mol Biol.71(4-5):319-29.
Lam SK(1), Cai Y, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Jiang L. (2008). SCAMPs highlight the developing cell plate during cytokinesis in tobacco BY-2 cells. Plant Physiol.147(4):1637-45.
Olbrich A(1), Hillmer S, Hinz G, Oliviusson P, Robinson DG. (2007). Newly formed vacuoles in root meristems of barley and pea seedlings have characteristics of both protein storage and lytic vacuoles. Plant Physiol.145(4):1383-94.
Langhans M(1), Hawes C, Hillmer S, Hummel E, Robinson DG. (2007). Golgi regeneration after brefeldin A treatment in BY-2 cells entails stack enlargement and cisternal growth followed by division. Plant Physiol.145(2):527-38.
Hinz G(1), Colanesi S, Hillmer S, Rogers JC, Robinson DG. (2007). Localization of vacuolar transport receptors and cargo proteins in the Golgi apparatus of developing Arabidopsis embryos. Traffic.8(10):1452-64.
Wang J(1), Li Y, Lo SW, Hillmer S, Sun SS, Robinson DG, Jiang L. (2007). Protein mobilization in germinating mung bean seeds involves vacuolar sorting receptors and multivesicular bodies. Plant Physiol.143(4):1628-39.
Hummel E(1), Schmickl R, Hinz G, Hillmer S, Robinson DG. (2007). Brefeldin A action and recovery in Chlamydomonas are rapid and involve fusion and fission of Golgi cisternae. 27. Plant Biol (Stuttg). 2007 Jul;9(4):489-501.
Van Droogenbroeck B(1), Cao J, Stadlmann J, Altmann F, Colanesi S, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Van Lerberge E, Terryn N, Van Montagu M, Liang M, Depicker A, De Jaeger G. (2007). Aberrant localization and underglycosylation of highly accumulating single-chain Fv-Fc antibodies in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.104(4):1430-5.
Lam SK(1), Siu CL, Hillmer S, Jang S, An G, Robinson DG, Jiang L. (2007). Rice SCAMP1 defines clathrin-coated, trans-golgi-located tubular-vesicular structures as an early endosome in tobacco BY-2 cells. Plant Cell.19(1):296-319.
Tse YC(1), Lo SW, Hillmer S, Dupree P, Jiang L. (2006). Dynamic response of prevacuolar compartments to brefeldin a in plant cells. Plant Physiol.142(4):1442-59.
Oliviusson P(1), Heinzerling O, Hillmer S, Hinz G, Tse YC, Jiang L, Robinson DG. (2006). Plant retromer, localized to the prevacuolar compartment and microvesicles in Arabidopsis, may interact with vacuolar sorting receptors. Plant Cell.18(5):1239-52.
Pimpl P(1), Taylor JP, Snowden C, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Denecke J. (2005). Golgi-mediated vacuolar sorting of the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP may play an active role in quality control within the secretory pathway. Plant Cell.18(1):198-211.
Tse YC(1), Mo B, Hillmer S, Zhao M, Lo SW, Robinson DG, Jiang L. (2004). Identification of multivesicular bodies as prevacuolar compartments in Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 cells. Plant Cell.16(3):672-93.
Laporte C(1), Vetter G, Loudes AM, Robinson DG, Hillmer S, Stussi-Garaud C, Ritzenthaler C. (2003). Involvement of the secretory pathway and the cytoskeleton in intracellular targeting and tubule assembly of Grapevine fanleaf virus movement protein in tobacco BY-2 cells. Plant Cell.15(9):2058-75.
Voncken F(1), van Hellemond JJ, Pfisterer I, Maier A, Hillmer S, Clayton C. (2003). Depletion of GIM5 causes cellular fragility, a decreased glycosome number, and reduced levels of ether-linked phospholipids in trypanosomes. J Biol Chem.278(37):35299-310.
Sohn EJ(1), Kim ES, Zhao M, Kim SJ, Kim H, Kim YW, Lee YJ, Hillmer S, Sohn U, Jiang L, Hwang I. (2003). Rha1, an Arabidopsis Rab5 homolog, plays a critical role in the vacuolar trafficking of soluble cargo proteins. Plant Cell.15(5):1057-70.
Pich A(1), Manteuffel R, Hillmer S, Scholz G, Schmidt W. (2001). Fe homeostasis in plant cells: does nicotianamine play multiple roles in the regulation of cytoplasmic Fe concentration? Planta.213(6):967-76.
Törmäkangas K(1), Hadlington JL, Pimpl P, Hillmer S, Brandizzi F, Teeri TH, Denecke J. (2001). A vacuolar sorting domain may also influence the way in which proteins leave the endoplasmic reticulum. Plant Cell.13(9):2021-32.
Hillmer S(1), Movafeghi A, Robinson DG, Hinz G. (2001). Vacuolar storage proteins are sorted in the cis-cisternae of the pea cotyledon Golgi apparatus. J Cell Biol.152(1):41-50.
Pimpl P(1), Movafeghi A, Coughlan S, Denecke J, Hillmer S, Robinson DG. (2000). In situ localization and in vitro induction of plant COPI-coated vesicles. Plant Cell.12(11):2219-36.
Bauly JM(1), Sealy IM, Macdonald H, Brearley J, Dröge S, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Venis MA, Blatt MR, Lazarus CM, Napier RM. (2000). Overexpression of auxin-binding protein enhances the sensitivity of guard cells to auxin. Plant Physiol.124(3):1229-38.
Fischer J(1), Becker C, Hillmer S, Horstmann C, Neubohn B, Schlereth A, Senyuk V, Shutov A, Müntz K. (2000). The families of papain- and legumain-like cysteine proteinases from embryonic axes and cotyledons of Vicia seeds: developmental patterns, intracellular localization and functions in globulin proteolysis. Plant Mol Biol.43(1):83-101.
Piedras P(1), Rivas S, Dröge S, Hillmer S, Jones JD. (2000). Functional, c-myc-tagged Cf-9 resistance gene products are plasma-membrane localized and glycosylated. Plant J.21(6):529-36.
Crofts AJ(1), Leborgne-Castel N, Hillmer S, Robinson DG, Phillipson B, Carlsson LE, Ashford DA, Denecke J. (1999). Saturation of the endoplasmic reticulum retention machinery reveals anterograde bulk flow Plant Cell.11(11):2233-48.
Hinz G(1), Hillmer S, Baumer M, Hohl I I. (1999). Vacuolar storage proteins and the putative vacuolar sorting receptor BP-80 exit the golgi apparatus of developing pea cotyledons in different transport vesicles Plant Cell.11(8):1509-24.
Steffens P(1), Van HN, Hillmer S, Saalbach I, Müntz K. (1997). Subcellular localization of the 2S globulin narbonin in seeds of Vicia narbonensis. Planta.203(1):44-50.
Bethke PC(1), Hillmer S, Jones RL. (1996). Isolation of Intact Protein Storage Vacuoles from Barley Aleurone (Identification of Aspartic and Cysteine Proteases). Plant Physiol.110(2):521-529.
Hillmer S(1), Gilroy S, Jones RL. (1993). Visualizing Enzyme Secretion from Individual Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Aleurone Protoplasts. Plant Physiol.102(1):279-286.
Hillmer S(1), Joachim S, Robinson DG. (49. Histochemistry. 1991;95(3):315-8. ). Rapid polymerization of LR-white for immunocytochemistry. 49. Histochemistry. 1991;95(3):315-8.
Hillmer S(1), Bush DS, Robinson DG, Zingen-Sell I, Jones RL. (1990). Barley aleurone protoplasts are structurally and functionally similar to the walled cells of aleurone layers. Eur J Cell Biol.52(1):169-73.

Deutsch

Contact information Stefan Hillmer