Location
Microbiology & Immunology
Office: TBRC C3970, Lab: TBRC C3673

General Interests
Epithelial Immunity, Intracellular Pathogens, Purine Metabolism, Glycobiology

Research Areas

The broad goal of the Tecle lab’s research program is to investigate the mechanisms that regulate innate epithelial immune responses against intracellular pathogens. To do this, we use infection of the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine by its natural microsporidian pathogen as a model system. The transparent body of C. elegans allows for direct visualization of its twenty non-renewable intestinal cells during infection, and the lack of professional immune cells in C. elegans allows one to focus on epithelial defense specifically. Our current research focus is two-fold. First, we are investigating the role of purine recycling in the host response to microsporidia infection. Second, we are exploring the host glycome to identify factors required for microsporidia infection.

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Insights from C. elegans into Microsporidia Biology and Host-Pathogen Relationships.

(Tecle E, Troemel ER.) Exp Suppl. 2022;114:115-136 PMID: 35544001 PMCID: PMC9208714 05/12/2022
The purine nucleoside phosphorylase pnp-1 regulates epithelial cell resistance to infection in C. elegans.

(Tecle E, Chhan CB, Franklin L, Underwood RS, Hanna-Rose W, Troemel ER.) PLoS Pathog. 2021 Apr;17(4):e1009350 PMID: 33878133 PMCID: PMC8087013 04/21/2021
The Caenorhabditis elegans RIG-I Homolog DRH-1 Mediates the Intracellular Pathogen Response upon Viral Infection.

(Sowa JN, Jiang H, Somasundaram L, Tecle E, Xu G, Wang D, Troemel ER.) J Virol. 2020 Jan 06;94(2) PMID: 31619561 PMCID: PMC6955277 10/18/2019
The female reproductive tract contains multiple innate sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins (Siglecs) that facilitate sperm survival.

(Tecle E, Reynoso HS, Wang R, Gagneux P.) J Biol Chem. 2019 Aug 02;294(31):11910-11919 PMID: 31201275 PMCID: PMC6682739 06/16/2019
Coordination of Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans with Wnt Signaling To Control Cellular Migrations and Positioning in Caenorhabditis elegans.

(Saied-Santiago K, Townley RA, Attonito JD, da Cunha DS, Díaz-Balzac CA, Tecle E, Bülow HE.) Genetics. 2017 Aug;206(4):1951-1967 PMID: 28576860 PMCID: PMC5560800 06/04/2017
Sugar-coated sperm: Unraveling the functions of the mammalian sperm glycocalyx.

(Tecle E, Gagneux P.) Mol Reprod Dev. 2015 Sep;82(9):635-50 PMID: 26061344 PMCID: PMC4744710 06/11/2015
Complex cooperative functions of heparan sulfate proteoglycans shape nervous system development in Caenorhabditis elegans.

(Díaz-Balzac CA, Lázaro-Peña MI, Tecle E, Gomez N, Bülow HE.) G3 (Bethesda). 2014 Aug 05;4(10):1859-70 PMID: 25098771 PMCID: PMC4199693 08/08/2014
Skin-derived cues control arborization of sensory dendrites in Caenorhabditis elegans.

(Salzberg Y, Díaz-Balzac CA, Ramirez-Suarez NJ, Attreed M, Tecle E, Desbois M, Kaprielian Z, Bülow HE.) Cell. 2013 Oct 10;155(2):308-20 PMID: 24120132 PMCID: PMC3881433 10/15/2013
Distinct 3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate modification patterns are required for kal-1-dependent neurite branching in a context-dependent manner in Caenorhabditis elegans.

(Tecle E, Diaz-Balzac CA, Bülow HE.) G3 (Bethesda). 2013 Mar;3(3):541-52 PMID: 23451335 PMCID: PMC3583460 03/02/2013

Tecle Laboratory

Research Areas

Recent Publications