David G. Robinson PhD Leeds University, UK, 1972. Postdoctoral work at Stanford Univ. USA. Asst Prof. Stanford 1973. Professor, Univ Göttingen 1977-99 At Zellelnlehre, Univ Heidelberg since 2000 Intracellular protein transport in plants Current Research Although the major endomembranes of plant and animal cells are similar, there are three significant differences in the secretory pathway: a. plants do not possess a distinct ERGIC compartment, b. Golgi stacks in plants are dispersed throughout the cytoplasm, and do not disappear during mitosis,c. plants can have functionally distinct vacuoles e.g lytic (lysosome-like) and protein storage vacuoles. Our work centers on the mechanisms responsible for protein trafficking in plant cells. In particular we would like to learn how vacuolar storage proteins traverse the Golgi stack, and become sorted from other secretory proteins. We are also very interested in COP- and clathrin-coated vesicle- mediated events, especially in relation to endocytosis and vacuolar protein transport. Contact: Prof.Dr. D.G. Robinson Zellenlehre Im Neuenheimer Feld 230 69120 Heidelberg Germany Tel: - 49 - 6221 - 546406 Fax: - 49 - 6221 - 546404 email: David.Robinson@urz.uni-heidelberg.de download this site

Projects for a doctoral thesis 1. ER export sites in plants: visualization in situ, and reconstitution in vitro. 2. Identification and characterization of Golgi-derived vesicles carrying _-TIP (tonoplast intrinsic protein for storage vacuoles), and _-TIP (for lytic vacuoles).   Selected Publications Hillmer,S et al. (2001) Vacuolar storage proteins are sorted in the cis-cisternae of the pea Golgi-apparatus. J. Cell Biol (in press) Pimpl,P et al. (2000) In situ localization and in vitro induction of plant COPI-coated vesicles. Plant Cell 12, 2219-2235 Crofts,A et al. (2000) Saturation of the endoplasmic reticulum retention macxhinery reveals anterograde bulk flow. Plant Cell 11, 2233-2248 Hinz, G et al. (1999) Vacuolar storage proteins and the putative sorting receptor BP-80 exit the Golgi apparatus of developing pea cotyledons in different transport vesicles. Plant Cell 11, 1509-1524 Robinson, D.G et al (1998) The molecular characterization of transport vesicles.Plant Molec. Biol.. 38, 49-76

 

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