• About
• Future Students
• Academics
• Campus Life
• Athletics
• Alumni & Friends

• Biology Home
• The Bio Major
• Faculty
• Life after Graduation
• Learning by doing
• Aquatic and Marine Bio
• Pre-Medicine and Health
• Environmental Science
• Pigmy Rattlesnakes
• Blue Springs Fish

Department of Biology

Michael S. King, Ph.D.

Professor ofBiology

Education:

• B.A. in Biology, Princeton University, 1986
• Ph.D. in Neuroscience, University of Virginia, 1992
• Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Michigan

Courses Taught:

• Introductory Biology I and II (BY 101 and 102)--Two of the introductory biology courses that our majors usually take in their freshman year. These two courses cover Biochemistry and Cell Biology (BY 101) and Animal and Plant Physiology (BY 102).
• Endocrinology (BY315)--A class in which we study the synthesis, release, and action of hormones and steroids. We also emphasis the interactions between the endocrine and nervous systems and various endocrine disorders.
• Animal Behavior (BY316)--An investigation of thecauses, development and evolution of behavior in animals. Several behaviors are examined in the lab inopen-ended student-driven investigations.
• Neurobiology (BY 409)--This class focusses on the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system with a emphasis on vertebrate models. The lab offers unique exposure to electrophysiological techniques used to study neural activity.

Research Interests:

I study how the brain processes sensory information. I am particularly interested in how the brain interprets information about taste and produces behavioral responses. We currently employ anatomical, microinjection, microdialysisand behavioral techniques using the laboratory rat as a model.

Our current research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01 DC07854). The title of that grant is "The role of glutamate and CCK in the PBN in taste reactivity". The grant will support our work until Sept. 2008.

Recent Publications:

(* indicates student co-author)

*Williams, J.B., *Murphy, D.M., *Reynolds, K.E., *Welch, S.J. and King, M.S., (1996), Demonstration of a bilateral projection from the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract to the medial parabrachial nucleus in rat. Brain Research 737:231-237.

*Gill, C.F., *Madden, J.M., *Roberts, B.P., *Evans, L.D. and King, M.S., (1999), A subpopulation of neurons in the rat rostral nucleus of the solitary tract that project to the parabrachial nucleus express glutamate-like immunoreactivity, Brain Research 821:251-262.

King, M.S. and Bradley, R.M., (2000), Biophysical properties and responses to glutamate receptor agonists of identified subpopulations of rat geniculate ganglion neurons, Brain Research 866: 237-246.

King, M.S., (2003), Distribution of immunoreactive GABA and glutamate receptors in the gustatory portion of the nucleus of the solitary tract in rat, Brain Research Catalog 60:241-254.

*Galvin, K.E., King, C.T. and King, M.S., (2004), Stimulation of specific parabrachial subnuclei elicits ingestive oromotor behaviors in conscious rats, Behavioral Neuroscience 118:163-172.

Harrison, T.A., Hoover, D.B. and King, M.S., (2004), Distinct regional distributions of NK1 and NK3 neurokinin receptor immunoreactivity in rat brainstem gustatory centers, Brain Research Catalog 63:7-17.

*Morganti, J.M., *Odegard, A.K. and King, M.S. (2007), The number and location of Fos-like immunoreactive neurons in the central gustatory system following electrical stimulation of the parabrachial nucleus in conscious rats. Chemical Senses 32:543-555.

*Biondolillo, J.W., *Williams, L.A. and King, M.S. (2009), Blocking glutamate receptorsin the waist area of the parabrachial nucleus decreases taste reactivity behaviors in conscious rats.Chemical Senses 34:221-230.

Book Chapters:

King, M.S., (2006), Anatomy of the Rostral Nucleus of the Solitary Tract. In, Bradley, R.M. (Ed.), The Role of the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract in Gustatory Processing, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL., pp. 17-38.

Bradley, R.M. and King, M.S., (2006), Neurotransmitters and Receptors Expressed by rNST Neurons. In, Bradley, R.M. (Ed.), The Role of the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract in Gustatory Processing, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL., pp. 38-66.

Abstracts of Presentations atScientific Meetings:

*Murphy, D.M., *Nystrom, M., *Crews, E.C., *Reynolds, K.R. and King, M.S., (1995), Morphology and location of neurons in the rat rostral NST which project to the parabrachial nucleus and aninvestigation of the chemical nature of the projection from the central amygdala to the rNST. Abstract #257, Chemical Senses, 20:749.

*Williams, J.B., *Welch, S.J. and King, M.S., (1996), The projection from the rNST to the mPBN in rat is bilateral as demonstrated by a retrograde and anterograde tract tracing study. Abstract #327, Chemical Senses 21:689.

King, M.S. and *Wallace, C.A., (1997), Some pontine projection neurons in the rat rostral NST express NMDA receptors. 27th Annual Neuroscience Meeting, New Orleans, LA, Abstract #408.19.

King, M.S., *Madden, J.M. and Kornberg, M., (1998), Double labeling reveals that a subpopulation of rat rostral NST neurons that project to the medial PBN express glutamate immunoreactivity. Abstract #106, Chemical Senses 23:581.

*Collins, C.D., *Gill, C.F., *Moore, W.D. and King, M.S., (1999), Individual rostral NST neurons project to both parabrachial nuclei in rat. Abstract #105, Chemical Senses 24:550.

King, M.S., (1999), Multidisciplinary laboratory investigations in neurobiology. 29th Annual Neuroscience Meeting, Miami Beach, Abstract #104.42.

King, M.S. and Bradley, R.M., (2000), Biophysical Properties and Responses to Glutamate Receptor Agonists of Identified Subpopulations of Rat Geniculate Ganglion Neurons. Abstract #308, Chemical Senses 25:683.

King, M.S., *Wildeboer, K.M., *Cunningham, J.C., *Gill, C.F. and *Moore, W.D., (2000), Distribution of glutamate receptor immunoreactivity in the rat rostral nucleus of the solitary tract. 30th Annual Neuroscience Meeting, New Orleans, Abstract #638.10.

King, M.S., *Graham, J.N., *Koepnick, K.K, *Townsend, J.M. and *Thomas, L.A., (2001), Electrical and chemical stimulation of specific regions of the PBN elicits ingestive oromotor behaviors in conscious rats. Abstract #308, Chemical Senses 26:1105-1106.

King, M.S., *Dykes, R.E. and King, C.T., (2002), Electrical stimulation of the PBN elicits ingestive oromotor behaviors in conscious rats: a topographic analysis. 24th Annual Meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, Abstract #330.

King, M.S., (2002), Distribution of immunoreactive GABA and glutamate receptors in the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract in rat. 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Orlando, Abstract #356.5.

King, M.S., *Smith, M.T., *Jani, K.P. and King, C.T., (2003), The location of Fos-immunoreactive neurons following electrical stimulation of the gustatory parabrachial nucleus in conscious rats. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, Abstract #594.8.

King, M.S., *Keller, G.S. and *Uflacker, A.B., (2004), Blocking glutamate receptors in the parabrachial nucleus reduces aversive oromotor responses to quinine in conscious rats. 26th Annual Meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, Abstract #207.

Maddox, L.A. and King, M.S., (2005), CCK injections into the taste area of the parabrachial nucleus alter oromotor behaviors to intra-oral infusions of quinine in conscious rats. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, Atlanta, Abstract.

King, M.S., *Delmond, J.A. and Maddox, L.C., (2006), Injection of cholecystokinin into the waist area of the parabrachial nucleus increases taste reactivity responses to intra-oral infusion of quinine in rats. Abstract #397, Chemical Senses 31:490.

King, M.S. and *Dorne, T.B., (2007), Reverse microdialysis of ionotropic glutamate receptor blockers into the parabrachial nucleus reduced taste reactivity behaviors in conscious rats. 29th Annual Meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, Abstract.

*Morganti, J.M. and King, M.S., (2007), Distribution of brainstem neurons activated by electrical stimulation and correlated with taste-related behaviors in conscious rats. Annual Meeting of the Florida Academy of Sciences, Abstract.

King, M.S., Angelson, P., *Hargrove, J. and *Clayman, M., 2010, Central amygdala stimulation activates neurons in the gustatory brainstem and increases the number of taste reactivity behaviors in conscious rats.  Annual Meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, Abstract  292.

*Riley, C.A., *Tobin, T.W. and King, M.S., 2011, The effect of stimulation of the central amygdala on taste reactivity in rats.  First Annual Florida Statewide Student Research Symposium, March 4-5.

*Riley, C.A., *Tobin, T.W. and King, M.S., 2011, Electrical stimulation of the central amygdala activates neurons in the gustatory brainstem and alters taste reactivity behaviors in conscious rats.  Annual Meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, Abstract 100.