A Glance into the Density of Transcriptomic Activity, Embodied by the HOX Genes, in Neonatal and Aging Dermal Cells

Abstract

Skin is an organ having a crucial role in the protection of muscle, bone, and internal organs and undergoing continuous self-renewal and aged. The growing interest in the prevention of skin aging and rejuvenation has sparked a surge of industrial and research studies focusing on the biological and transcriptional changes that occur during skin development and aging. In this study, we aimed to identify transcriptional differences between two main types of human skin cells: the HDFs and the HEK isolated from 30 neonatal and 30 adults (old) skin. Through differentially expressed gene (DEG) profiling using DEseq2, 604 up-, and 769 down-regulated genes were identified in the old group. The functional classification analysis using Metascape Gene Ontology and Reactome pathway was performed. We report the systematic transcriptomic changes in key biological markers involved in skin formation and maintenance and a unique difference in HOX gene families which are important for developing embryonic formation and regulating numerous biological processes. Among the 39 human HOX genes, 10 genes (HOXA10, 11, 13, HOXB13, HOXC11, and HOXD9-13) were significantly down-regulated, and 25 genes HOXA2-7, HOXB1-9, HOXC4-6 and 8-9, and HOXD1,3,4 and 8) were up-regulated, especially in the old HDFs. We have successfully established a correlation between HOX genes and the process of skin aging, thereby proposing HOX genes as a novel marker for assessing skin aging. Our findings provide compelling evidence supporting the involvement of HOX genes in this biological phenomenon such as skin aging.