Metaplasia and dysplasia in the corpus are reportedly derived from dedifferentiation of chief cells. However, the cellular origin of metaplasia and cancer remained uncertain. Therefore, we investigated whether pepsinogen C-transcript expressing cells (PGC-transcript expressing cells) represent the cellular origin of metaplasia and cancer using a novel Pgc-specific CreERT2 recombinase mouse model.

We generated a Pgc-mCherry-IRES-CreERT2 (Pgc-CreERT2) knock-in mouse model. Pgc-CreERT2/+ and Rosa-EYFP mice were crossed to generate Pgc-CreERT2/Rosa-EYFP (Pgc-CreERT2/YFP) mice. Gastric tissues were collected, followed by lineage-tracing experiments, histological and immunofluorescence staining. We further established Pgc-CreERT2;Kras^G12D/+ mice and investigated whether PGC-transcript expressing cells are responsible for the precancerous state in gastric glands. To investigate cancer development from PGC-transcript expressing cells with activated Kras, inactivated Apc and Trp53 signaling pathways, we crossed Pgc-CreERT2/+ mice with conditional Kras^G12D, Apc^flox, Trp53^flox mice.

Expectedly, mCherry mainly labeled chief cells in the Pgc-CreERT2 mice. However, mCherry was also detected throughout the neck cell and isthmal stem/progenitor regions, albeit at lower levels. In the Pgc-CreERT2;Kras^G12D/+ mice, PGC-transcript expressing cells with Kras^G12D/+ mutation presented pseudopyloric metaplasia. The early induction of proliferation at the isthmus may reflect the ability of isthmal progenitors to react rapidly to Pgc-driven Kras^G12D/+ oncogenic mutation. Furthermore, Pgc-CreERT2;Kras^G12D/+;Apc^flox/flox mice presented intramucosal dysplasia/carcinoma, while Pgc-CreERT2;Kras^G12D/+;Apc^flox/flox;Trp53^flox/flox mice presented invasive and metastatic gastric carcinoma.

The Pgc-CreERT2 knock-in mouse is an invaluable tool to study the effects of successive oncogenic activation in the mouse corpus. Time-course observations can be made regarding the responses of isthmal and chief cells to oncogenic insults. We can observe stomach-specific tumorigenesis from the beginning to metastatic development.