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Muhammad Shuaib

Instructional Assistant Professor

Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division
Email icon muhammad.shuaib@kaust.edu.sa

Research Interests

Prof. Shuaib’s research interests lie at the intersection of epigenetics, gene regulation, and infection biology. He is particularly interested in how chromatin architecture, histone variants, and non-coding RNAs control genome function and how these processes are altered during disease and infection. His earlier work explored the role of histone H3 variants and their modifications in centromere identity and chromosome segregation. Building on this foundation, his research at KAUST has expanded to understanding how non-coding RNA molecules and their partner proteins shape the 3D organization of the genome and influence the regulation of gene expression. More recently, his focus has shifted toward host–pathogen interactions, investigating how infections such as SARS-CoV-2 reprogram the host’s epigenome and transcriptome to promote viral replication and pathogenesis. His research applies state-of-the-art genomic and molecular approaches to understand infection biology and guide strategies for diagnostics, therapeutics, and pandemic response. 
Keyword tag icon
Epigenetics Genomics Molecular Cell Biology Host-pathogen Interaction

Education Profile

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Genetics Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), France, 2012 -2014

  • Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Strasbourg, France, 2012

Publications

  • Shuaib M, Adroub S, Mourier T, et al. (2023). Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid 203K/204R mutations onthe inflammatory immune response in COVID-19 severity. Genome Medicine 15, 54.

  • Mourier, T., Shuaib, M., Hala, S. et al. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Saudi Arabia implicate nucleocapsidmutations in host response and increased viral load. Nature Communications 13, 601.

  • Shuaib, M., Parsi, K.M., Adroub, S.A., Thimma, M., Hideya, K., Seridi, L., Carninci, P., and Orlando, V. (2019). NuclearAGO1 regulates gene expression by affecting chromatin architecture in human cells. Cell Systems. 9 (5): 446-458.e6. 

  • Shuaib, M., Ouararhni, K., Dimitrov, S., Hamiche, A. (2010). HJURP binds CENP-A via a highly conserved N-terminaldomain and mediates its deposition at centromeres. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 107(4): 1349-1354.

  • Goutte-Gattat, D., Shuaib, M., Ouararhni, K., Gautier, T., Skoufias, D.A., Hamiche, A., and Dimitrov S. (2013). Phosphorylation of the CENP-A amino-terminus in mitotic centromeric chromatin is required for kinetochorefunction. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 110 (21): 8579-8584.

  • Fallatah, B., Shuaib, M., Adroub, S.A., Paytuví-Gallart, A., Della, Valle. F., Nadeef, S., Lanzuolo, C., Orlando, V. (2021). Ago1 controls myogenic differentiation by regulating eRNA mediated CBP guided epigenome reprogramming. Cell Report. 37 (9): 110066. 

  • Drané, P., Ouararhni, K., Depaux, A., Shuaib, M., and Hamiche, A. (2010). The death-associated protein DAXX is anovel histone chaperone involved in the replication-independent deposition of H3.3. Genes & Development. 24(12): 1253-1265. 

  • AK Subudhi, JL Green, R Satyam, RP Salunke, T Lenz, Shuaib M, et al., (2023). DNA-binding protein PfAP2-P regulates parasite pathogenesis during malaria parasite blood stages, Nature Microbiology, 8, 11, 2154–2169.

  • Liu, P., Shuaib, M., Zhang, H., Nadeef, S., and Orlando, V. (2019). Ubiquitin ligases HUWE1 and NEDD4 cooperativelycontrol signal dependent PRC2-Ezh1 a/b mediated adaptive stress response pathway in skeletal muscle cells. Epigenetics & Chromatin 12, 78. 

  • Roulland, Y., Ouararhni, K., Naidenov, M., Ramos, L., Shuaib, M., Syed, S.H., Lone, I.N., Boopathi, R., Fontaine, E., Papai,G., Tachiwana, H., Gautier, T., Skoufias, D., Padmanabhan, K., Bednar, J., Kurumizaka, H., Schultz, P., Angelov, D.,Hamiche, A., Dimitrov, S. (2016). The flexible ends of CENP-A nucleosome are required for mitotic fidelity. Molecular Cell. 63 (4): 674-85.