Biology subjects

Husain, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Husain, F..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Desert Cucurbit Microbiomes: Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Functional Adaptations

BackgroundPlant microbiomes can contribute to host adaptation in extreme environments, particularly deserts where high temperatures, intense radiation, water limitation, and nutrient-poor soils constrain plant survival. Citrullus colocynthis is a desert-adapted cucurbit with medicinal and agricultural relevance, yet integrated understanding of its microbiome across seasons, tissues, habitats, and functional traits remains limited. Here, we asked whether spatiotemporal microbiome dynamics in C. colocynthis are linked to microbial functional potential and cultivable traits relevant to persistence under arid conditions. ResultsTo address this, we profiled the microbiome of C. colocynthis across two sites, two seasons, and multiple compartments using 16S rRNA amplicon screening, shotgun metagenomics, culture-based phenotyping, and genome analysis. Amplicon profiling provided an exploratory framework and showed that plant-associated bacterial communities were shaped primarily by season and tissue type, with roots emerging as the most season-responsive compartment. Shotgun metagenomics confirmed stronger seasonal restructuring in root bacterial communities than in leaves and extended taxonomic profiling to fungal and archaeal fractions, which were interpreted descriptively because of low read representation. Summer root communities were enriched in actinobacterial genera, including Saccharopolyspora, Amycolatopsis, Pseudonocardia, and Nonomuraea, while functional profiling indicated coordinated shifts in central metabolism, cofactor salvage, exopolysaccharide-related pathways, and redox-associated functions. Twenty-four cultured bacterial isolates exhibited diverse stress-tolerance and plant growth-promoting traits, and whole-genome analyses identified biosynthetic, osmoprotective, oxidative-stress, and phytohormone-related gene content. Pangenome analysis of Pseudomonas orientalis revealed an open pangenome and lifestyle-associated accessory genes linked to host-associated functions. ConclusionsTogether, these findings connect seasonal bacterial community turnover, metagenomic functional potential, and cultivable microbial traits in a desert plant holobiont, highlighting desert-native bacteria and pathways relevant to microbiome-guided strategies for arid agriculture.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Metformin inhibits PDGF signaling to suppress hyaluronan and IL-6 production in Thyroid Eye Disease

BackgroundThyroid eye disease (TED) is a debilitating autoimmune disorder affecting 25-50% of patients with Graves disease. TED is characterized by inflammation and tissue remodeling of orbital tissues. Orbital fibroblasts (OFs) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling promote tissue remodeling in TED. While metformins therapeutic potential has been proposed in various inflammatory conditions, its role in modulating PDGF signaling in TED remains unexplored. MethodsOFs were isolated from TED (n= 14) and non-TED subjects (n=4). OFs were treated with PDGF{beta} (25 ng/mL) and/or AMPK activators metformin (1-5 mM) and AICAR (0.4-1 mM). Hyaluronan (HA) production was assessed via agarose gel electrophoresis and ELISA. Inflammatory mediators (IL6 and IL8) were measured by ELISA. Protein expression and signaling pathways were analyzed by Western blot. ResultsTED OFs showed enhanced HA synthesis ([~]3-fold increase) and IL6 and IL8 responses to PDGF{beta}. PDGF{beta} treatment suppressed AMPK phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Metformin increased AMPK phosphorylation (3.2-fold) and decreased IL6 and IL8 production. Both metformin and AICAR attenuated PDGF{beta}-induced HA production (56-68% reduction), IL6 ([~]50% reduction), and IL8 ([~]65% reduction) production in TED OFs. ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that PDGF{beta} suppresses AMPK signaling while AMPK activation by metformin counters PDGF{beta}-induced responses. These findings suggest that metformin is a potential therapeutic option for TED through modulation of HA and inflammatory cytokine production.

pathology↗

bioRxiv2021

Slow Cortical Waves via Cyclicity

Fine-grained understanding of dynamics in cortical networks is crucial in unpacking brain function. Here, we introduce a novel analytical method to characterize the dynamic interaction between distant brain regions, and apply it to data from the Human Connectome Project. Resting-state fMRI results in time series recordings of the activity of different brain regions, which are aperiodic and lacking a base frequency. Cyclicity Analysis, a novel technique robust with respect to time-reparametrizations, is effective in recovering temporal ordering of such time series along a circular trajectory without assuming any time-scale. Our analysis detected slow cortical waves of activity propagating across the brain with consistent lead-lag relationships between specific brain regions. We also observed short bursts of task-modulated strong temporal ordering that dominate overall lead-lag relationships between pairs of regions in the brain. Our results suggest the possible role played by slow waves of information transmission between brain regions that underlie emergent cognitive function.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

The role of tectonics and hydrothermalism in early human evolution at Olduvai Gorge

Hominin encephalization has been at the centre of debates concerning human evolution with a consensus on a greater role for improved dietary quality. To sustain the energetic demands of larger brains, cooking was likely essential for increasing the digestibility and energy gain of meat and readily available, yet toxic starches. Here, we present the oldest geochemical evidence for a landscape influenced by tectonic activity and hydrothermal features that potentially shaped early hominin behaviour at Olduvai Gorge. Although use of fire at this time is controversial, hot springs may have provided an alternative way to thermally process dietary resources available in the 1.7 Myo Olduvai wetland. Our data supports the presence of an aquatic-dominated landscape with hydrothermal features that offered hominins new opportunities to hunt and cook readily available tubers and herbivore prey at the emergence of the Acheulean technology. Future studies should further examine whether hydrothermalism similarly influenced other critical aspects of human evolution.

evolutionary biology↗