USP14 Mediates Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Aortic Valve Stenosis Through Ubiquitination

Abstract

The incidence of aortic valve stenosis (AVS) has been increasing in recent years, making it one of the leading causes of cardiovascular-related deaths among the elderly. Clinical samples from 30 AVS patients and 30 controls treated at Tianjin Chest Hospital between 2010 and 2020 were collected. Analyses included immunofluorescence detection, Western blotting (WB), quantitative RT-PCR analysis (qRT-PCR), haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and molecular docking experiments of protein–protein interactions. USP14 was found to be highly expressed in AVS tissues, which was validated by immunofluorescence and WB analyses. qRT-PCR results indicated that the mRNA expression levels of USP14 and CDK4 were significantly elevated in AVS tissues. HE staining revealed significant pathological changes in AVS tissues. Molecular docking experiments demonstrated the interaction between USP14 and CDK4, suggesting a potential regulatory mechanism in AVS. USP14 may be involved in the occurrence and development of AVS by regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis and fibrosis processes. It may serve as a therapeutic target for treating AVS.