email: mike.michel@m.cc.utah.edu

Professor of Physiology Cellular Neuroscience

B.A. 1975, M.A. 1980, Humboldt State University; Ph.D. 1985, University of California, Santa Barbara; Postdoctoral associate, 1986-1991, University of California, Los Angeles, Louisiana State University, University of Florida.

RESEARCH:

Olfactory and gustatory physiology

Mechanisms involved in the processing of olfactory information are the interest of Dr. Michel. The specificity and sensitivity of each olfactory sensory neuron is determined by the single type of odorant receptor it expresses but its activity may also regulated by a variety of neuroactive substances. The Transient or persistent changes in the odor environment will affect an olfactory neuronŐs ability to respond to odors. Dr. Michel is using transgenic zebrafish expressing intrinsic reporter proteins to monitor synaptic vesicle exocytosis (synaptopHluorin) or changes in intracellular calcium (inverse pericam) to determine how changes in the odor environment early in development affects olfactory competence later in life. Similar approaches are being used to functionally map the spatial distribution of odor-sensitive neurons in the developing and mature olfactory systems and to examine the role of neuromodulator receptors expressed upon OSN axon terminalepithelium, to investigate the significantly larger odor-evoked responses of females and to examine the temporal onset of odor sensitivity during post-embryonic development.

(Eram and Michel, 2005; Vitebsky et al., 2005; Michel et al., 2003; Edwards and Michel, 2002)

Selected Publications

Edwards, J.G., Greig, A., Sakata, Y., Elkin, D., and Michel, W.C. (2007) Cholinergic innervation of the zebrafish olfactory bulb. J Comp Neurol, 504(6):631-645.

Eram, M. and Michel, W. C. (2006) Heterogeneous distribution of taste cells in facial and vagal nerve-innervated taste buds. Neurosci., 138:339-350.

Johnson, P.M., Kicklighter, C.E., Schmidt, M., Kamio, M., Yang, H., Elkin, D., Michel, W.C., Tai, P.C., and Derby, C.D. (2006) Packaging of chemicals in the defensive secretory glands of the sea hare Aplysia californica. J. Exp. Biol., 209:78-88.

Zimmer, R.K., Schar, D.W., Ferrer, R.P., Krug, P.J., Kats, L.B., and Michel, W.C. (2006) The scent of danger: Tetrodotoxin (TTX) as an olfactory cue of predation risk. Ecological Monographs, 76:585-600.

Eram, M., and Michel, W.C. (2005) Morphological and biochemical heterogeneity in facial and vagal nerve innervated taste buds of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. J. Comp Neurol., 486:132-144.

Vitebsky, A., Reyes, R., Sanderson, M.J., Michel, W.C., and Whitlock, K.E.(2005) Isolation and characterization of the laure olfactory behavioral mutant in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Dev. Dyn., 234:229-242.

Michel, W.C., Sanderson, M.J., Olson, J.K., and Lipschitz, D.L. (2003) Evidence of a novel transduction cascade mediating detection of polyamines by the zebrafish olfactory system. J. Exp. Biol. 206:1697-1706.

Edwards, J.G., and Michel, W.C. (2002) Odor-stimulated glutamatergic neurotransmission in the zebrafish olfactory bulb. J. Comp. Neurol. 454:294-309.

Lipschitz, D.L., and Michel, W.C. (2002) Microvillar olfactory sensory neurons detect amino acid odorants. Chem. Sens. 27:277-286.

Steullet, P., Cate, H.S., Michel, W.C., and Derby, C.D. (2000) Functional units of a compound nose: aesthetasc sensilla house similar populations of olfactory receptor neurons on the crustacean antennule. J. Comp. Neurol. 418:270-280.

Michel, W.C., Steullet, P., Cate, H.S., Burns, C.J., Zhainazarov, A.B., and Derby, C.D. (1999) High-resolution functional labeling of vertebrate and invertebrate olfactory receptor neurons using agmatine, a channel permeant cation. J. Neurosci. Meth. 90:143-156.

Ma, L., and Michel, W.C. (1998) Drugs affecting phospholipase C-mediated signal transduction block the olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated current of adult zebrafish. J. Neurophysiol. 79:1183-1192.

Corotto, F.S., and Michel, W.C. (1998) Mechanisms of afterhyperpolarization in lobster olfactory receptor neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 80:1268-1276.

Michel, W.C., and Derbidge, D.S. (1997) Evidence of distinct amino acid and bile salt receptors in the olfactory system of the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Brain Res. 764:179-187.

Corotto, F.S., Piper, D.R., Chen, N.S., and Michel, W.C. (1996) Voltage- and Ca²⁺-gated currents in zebrafish olfactory receptor neurons. J. Exp. Biol. 199:1115-1126. Michel, W. C., and Lubomudrov, L. M. (1995) Specificity and sensitivity of the olfactory organ of the zebrafish, Danio rerio. J. Comp. Physiol. [A] 177:191-199.

Corotto, F.S., and Michel, W.C. (1994) A hyperpolarization-activated cation conductance in lobster olfactory receptor neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 72:360-365.

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