Michael T. Klein, Ph.D.

Michael T. Klein, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery
1215 Light Hall
Nashville, TN 37232-0697
Phone: (518) 763-2807
Fax: (615) 343-3088
Email: Michael.T.Klein@vanderbilt.edu
Professional experience
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (September 2012 – present)
Laboratory of Prof. P. Jeffery Conn, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center,
Nashville, TN, USA.
Investigating allosteric modulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.
Research Assistant (May 2006 - July 2006)
Under supervision of Prof. Mario Canki, Center for Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical
College, Union University, Albany, NY, USA.
Investigated novel anti-viral compounds for the treatment and prevention of HIV infection.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy awarded in Neuropharmacology & Neuroscience (2011) from Albany Medical
College, Union University, GPA 3.70
Dissertation research supervised by Prof. Milt Teitler, “The Pharmacology and Distribution of Serotonin
5-HT1E Receptors in the Mammalian Brain & Drug Development for the Human 5-HT1E Receptor”
Bachelors of Science awarded in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2006), University at Albany, State
University of New York, GPA 3.70
Senior undergraduate research project supervised by Prof. Mario Canki, “HIV-1 Modulation of SP-1, Oct-
1, and NFκB Transcription Factor Expression in Human Fetal Astrocytes”
Research experience
Ph.D. dissertation research:
■ Identified the distribution of serotonin 5-HT1E receptors in the mammalian brain, identified cell
types that express 5-HT1E receptors, established rational for future electrophysiological and
behavioral analyses of 5-HT1E receptor function in the mammalian brain, and provided evidence to
support the 5-HT1E receptor as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of disorders
characterized by cognitive and memory deficits (Klein and Teitler, in press).
■ 5-HT1E receptor drug discovery: determined affinities of 52 compounds and the functional
potencies of a subset of these compounds at h5-HT1E and h5-HT1F receptors to establish a
comparative SAR and identify new avenues for subtype-selective drug discovery at 5-HT1E and 5-
HT1F receptors (Klein et al., 2011).

■ Pharmacologically characterized 5-HT1E receptors expressed in guinea pig brain tissue and
demonstrated the utility of the guinea pig as the first pre-clinical animal model for the study of 5-
HT1E receptors and drug screening (Klein and Teitler, 2009).
Other graduate level research:
■ Identified novel drug-induced inactivation and reactivation properties of 5-HT2A receptor
homodimers and developed new equations to model these novel ligand-receptor interactions
(Teitler and Klein, 2011).
■ Identified and characterized drug-induced inactivation and reactivation of 5-HT7 homodimers
heterologously expressed in recombinant cell lines (Teitler et al., 2010) and endogenously
expressed in primary rat astrocytes (Smith et al., 2010).
■ Identified and characterized novel forskolin-inhibiting effects of 5-HT7 receptor competitive
antagonists (Klein and Teitler, 2011) and “inactivating” antagonists (Toohey et al., 2009).
■ Examined the novel, rapid, and potent pseudo-irreversible inhibition of 5-HT7 receptors by
“inactivating” antagonists (Knight et al., 2009).
■ Designed FRET-paired 5-HT receptors to visualize receptor dimerization under confocal
microscopy. Characterized 5-HT2C receptor homodimer interface via mutagenesis of key residues of
receptor transmembrane domains (poster 44.9 at Sf N meeting, Nov 2006).
■ Investigated the novel cytochrome P450-activating properties of the analgesic improgan as an
underlying mechanism of improgan’s nociceptive properties.
Undergraduate research:
■ Identified compounds and natural products with ability to inhibit HIV infection in recombinant cell
lines and human fetal astrocytes. Determined cytotoxicity of these compounds (Paskaleva et al.,
2006).
■ Examined the HIV viral lifecycle in human fetal astrocytes and monitored changes in transcription
factors to develop a novel in vitro model for AIDS-associated dementia.
Skills and expertise
■ Pharmacology: autoradiography, radioligand binding, quantification of second messengers (cAMP,
inositol phosphates), Ca 2+ mobilization, non-radioactive binding assays (DELFIA), gene-reporter
assays (luciferase and β- galactosidase), receptor operational modeling, cytotoxicity screening.
■ Molecular biology: DNA amplification and purification, restriction digest and ligation, agarose gel
electrophoresis, PCR, PCR-based mutagenesis, RT-PCR, viron production and quantification.
■ Immunochemical techniques: immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, ELISA,
polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
■ Biophysical techniques: resonance energy transfer, design of FRET and BRET assays, enzyme
complementation, fluorescence complementation, fluorescence polarization, time-resolved
fluorescence.

■ Cell culture: recombinant cell line culture (HEK-293, 293t, CHO, CHO-K1, COS-7, HeLa, LMtk-, 1G5,
U-373), primary lymphocyte culture, primary astrocyte culture, mammalian cell transfection,
monoclonal cell line production.
■ Microscopy: confocal microscopy, wide-field fluorescence microscopy.
■ Animal handling and tissue preparation: rodent euthanasia, rodent brain dissection, microtome
and cryostat tissue sectioning, paraformaldehyde tissue fixation, tissue cryoprotection.
■ Data processing and analysis: parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses, linear and
nonlinear regression, design of custom nonlinear regression equations, MS Excel automated batch
processing, GraphPad Prism automated batch processing, Adobe Photoshop automated batch
processing.
Graduate level coursework
Behavioral Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Bioethics, Biostatistics, Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience,
Fundamentals of Pharmacology, Molecular Cell Biology, Nervous System Disorders, Neuroanatomy,
Neuroanatomy Lab, Neuropharmacology, Receptor Pharmacology, and Scientific Integrity (cumulative
GPA 3.70).
Supervision/teaching experience
■ Responsible for training research assistant (Jeremy Teitler) and medical student investigator
(Soma Mandal) in standard pharmacological, cell culture, and molecular biology techniques in the
laboratory of Prof. Milt Teitler.
■ Responsible for training of new users of departmental shared instruments.
Awards and recognition
■ Frank C. Ferguson Jr. Prize for Excellence in the Quality of Science (2011)
■ Albany Medical College Research Poster Day Award (2011)
■ Albany Medical College Alumni Association Research and Leadership Award (2011)
■ New York State Merit-Academic Excellence Award
■ International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 5 College Scholarship
■ State University of New York at Albany Presidential Scholarship
■ State University of New York at Albany College Scholarship
Professional affiliations
■ Member of American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
■ Member of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
■ Member of the British Pharmacological Society

■ Member of the Serotonin Club
Extracurricular responsibilities
■ Student Council representative for the Center for Neuropharmacology & Neuroscience
■ Treasurer of the Graduate Student Organization
■ Graduate Student Organization representative for the Center for Neuropharmacology &
Neuroscience
■ Center for Neuropharmacology & Neuroscience Graduate Education Committee
■ Albany Medical College Information Technology Advisory Committee (member)
■ Biostatistics Curriculum and Course Restructuring Committee (member)
■ Albany Medical College Website Committee (member)
■ Center for Neuropharmacology & Neuroscience Platereader Committee (chair)
Volunteer work
■ Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity construction projects
■ Member of the community service clubs Circle K and Presidential Honors Society
■ Assistant at Albany’s New Day Art & Reading program for underprivileged children
■ Volunteer at Albany Regional Food Bank
■ Assisted in the care of Guiding Eyes for the Blind dogs
■ Participated in Brittany Miller Foundation, Crop Walk, March of Dimes, and Make-a-Wish
Foundation events
Peer-reviewed publications
Klein M.T. and Teitler M. (in press) Distribution of 5-HT1E receptors in the mammalian brain and cerebral
vasculature: an immunohistochemical and pharmacological study. British Journal of
Pharmacology.
Teitler M. and Klein M.T. (2011) A new approach for studying GPCR dimers: drug-induced inactivation
and reactivation to reveal GPCR dimer function in vitro and in vivo. Pharmacology &
Therapeutics, Epub ahead of print. PMID: 22119169.
Klein M.T., Dukat M., Glennon R.A., and Teitler M. (2011) Towards selective drug development for the
human 5-HT1E receptor: a comparison of 5-HT1E and 5-HT1F receptor structure-affinity
relationships. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 337(3):860-867. PMID:
21422162.
Klein M.T. and Teitler M. (2011) Antagonist interaction with the human 5-HT7 receptor mediates the
rapid and potent inhibition of non-G-protein-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity: a novel GPCR
effect. British Journal of Pharmacology, 162(8):1843-1854. PMID: 21198551.

Smith C., Toohey N., Klein M.T., Knight J.A., and Teitler, M. (2010) Risperidone-induced inactivation and
clozapine-induced re-activation of rat cortical astrocyte 5-HT7 receptors: evidence for in situ
GPCR homodimer protomer cross-talk. Molecular Pharmacology, 79(2):318-325. PMID:
21062995.
Teitler M., Toohey N., Knight J.A., Klein M.T., and Smith C. (2010) Clozapine and other competitive
antagonists reactivate risperidone-inactivated h5-HT7 receptors: radioligand binding and
functional evidence for GPCR homodimer protomer interactions. Psychopharmacology (Berlin),
212(4):687-697. PMID: 20827463.
Klein M.T. and Teitler M. (2009) Guinea pig hippocampal 5-HT1E receptors: a tool for selective drug
development. Journal of Neurochemistry, 109(1):268-274. PMID: 19200348.
Toohey N., Klein M.T., Knight J.A., Smith C., and Teitler M. (2009) Human 5-HT7 receptor-induced
inactivation of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase by risperidone, 9-OH-risperidone and
other “inactivating antagonists”. Molecular Pharmacology, 76(3):552-559. PMID: 19509219.
Knight J.A., Smith C., Toohey N., Klein M.T., and Teitler M. (2009) Pharmacological analysis of the novel,
rapid, and potent inactivation of the human 5-Hydroxytryptamine7 receptor by risperidone, 9-
OH-risperidone, and other “inactivating antagonists”. Molecular Pharmacology, 75(2):374-380.
PMID: 18996971.
Paskaleva E.E., Lin X., Li W., Cotter R., Klein M.T., Roberge E., Yu E. K., Clark B., Veille J., Liu Y., Lee D.,
and Canki M. (2006) Inhibition of highly productive HIV-1 infection in T cells, primary human
macrophages, microglia, and astrocytes by Sargassum fusiforme. AIDS Research and Therapy,
3:15. PMID: 16725040.
Published abstracts and presentations at national meetings
Teitler M., Smith C., Toohey N., and Klein M.T. “Fluphenazine potently and rapidly inactivates the
human D2 dopamine receptor.” Poster 136.4 at Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting,
Washington D.C. November, 2011.
Klein M.T. and Teitler M. “Serotonin 5-HT1E receptor distribution in the guinea pig brain: The first
specific localization of 5-HT1E receptors in mammalian brain tissue.” Poster 543.5 at Society for
Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. November, 2010.
Toohey N., Smith C., Klein M.T. and Teitler M. “Drug-induced inactivation and reactivation of the human
5-HT2A receptor.” Poster 543.9 at Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
November, 2010.
Knight J.A., Smith C., Toohey N., Klein M.T. and Teitler M. “Clozapine and other competitive antagonists
reactivate risperidone-inactivated human and rat 5-HT7 receptors: functional evidence for a
GPCR homodimer in cell lines and primary culture.” Poster 543.8 at Society for Neuroscience
Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. November, 2010.
Klein M.T., Dukat M., Glennon R.A. and Teitler M. “Towards selective drug development for the human
5-HT1E receptor: A comparative 5-HT1E/5-HT1F structure-affinity investigation.” Poster 35.12 at
Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. October, 2009.
Klein M.T., Toohey N., Smith C., Knight J.A. and Teitler M. “Human 5-HT7 receptor antagonist-elicited
inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity: A novel GPCR-mediated effect.”
Poster 35.6 at Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. October, 2009.

Klein M.T. and Teitler M. “Guinea Pig Hippocampal 5-HT1E Receptors: A Tool for Selective Drug
Development.” Poster 825.6 Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.
November, 2008.
Klein M.T. and Teitler M. “Guinea Pig Hippocampal 5-HT1E Receptors: A Tool for Selective Drug
Development.” Poster 720.8 at Experimental Biology (FASEB), San Diego, CA. April, 2008.
Farrington D.T., Weaver B.A., Grinde E., Klein M.T. and Herrick-Davis K. “Structural determination of
serotonin 5-HT2C receptor trafficking to the plasma membrane.” Poster 44.9 at Society for
Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA. November, 2006.