Ubiquitination-related gene signature in photoaging and prediction of candidate therapeutic agents.

Photoaging is the major type of exogenous aging caused by chronic ultraviolet (UV) radiation, whose pathogenesis is complex and not fully understood. Recently, the involvement of ubiquitination in aging and aging-related disorders has aroused extensive attention. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between ubiquitination and photoaging with bioinformatics. We utilized the GSE38308 dataset to screen the differentially expressed ubiquitination-related genes (UbR-DEGs), as well as immune infiltration and function, in the sun-exposed skin samples versus sun-protected controls. Based on the 46 UbR-DEGs, we performed enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Subsequently, the top five hub genes including UCHL1, HSP90AA1, YWHAQ, CTNNB1, and SNCA were identified and exhibited associations with immunological characteristics related to photoaging. Furthermore, the expression levels of hub genes were validated in clinical skin samples using qRT-PCR. Additionally, candidate therapeutic agents targeting the UbR-DEGs, such as myricetin and valproic acid, were predicted through gene-drug and protein-chemical interaction analysis. In conclusion, this study uncovered the intricate correlation between ubiquitination and photoaging, providing novel directions for investigations into photoaging pathogenesis and intervention strate gies.