Ubiquitin-Activating Enzyme E1 (UBA1) as a Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Breast Cancer: Insights into Immune Infiltration and Functional Implications

Abstract

Ubiquitin-Activating Enzyme E1 (UBA1), an E1 enzyme involved in the activation of ubiquitin enzymes, has been involved in the onset and progression of different cancers in humans. Nevertheless, the precise contribution of UBA1 in breast cancer (BC) is still poorly characterized. In this study, a thorough investigation was carried out to elucidate the significance of UBA1 and validate its functionality in BC. Through the analysis of mRNA sequencing data of BC patients, the mRNA expression of UBA1 was observed to be notably enhanced in cancer tissues relative to controls, and high UBA1 expression was linked to worse overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progress-free survival (PFS). Moreover, UBA1 exhibited potential as an independent prognostic and diagnostic biomarker for individuals with BC. Additionally, functional enrichment analysis revealed the involvement of UBA1 in inflammation-linked pathways, like the TNF-α signaling pathway, the IL-6 signaling pathway, and various immune-related biological processes. Notably, single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) aided in the identification of a negative link between UBA1 expression and the levels of infiltrating mast cells, Th1 cells, iDC cells, B cells, DC cells, Tem cells, Cytotoxic cells, T cells, CD8T cells, and pDC cells. Finally, this study demonstrated that silencing UBA1 significantly impeded the growth and development of BC cell lines. These findings highlight UBA1 as a potential prognostic biomarker linked to immune infiltration in BC, thereby depicting its potential as a new therapeutic target for individuals with BC.