Single-cell transcriptomics uncovers EGFR signaling-mediated gastric progenitor cell differentiation in stomach homeostasis

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 3750
• Main Authors: Takada, Hitomi, Sasagawa, Yohei, Yoshimura, Mika, Tanaka, Kaori, Iwayama, Yoshimi, Hayashi, Tetsutaro, Isomura-Matoba, Ayako, Nikaido, Itoshi, Kurisaki, Akira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 29-06-2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13; 13/100; 13/106; 13/31; 13/51; 13/95; 38/39; 631/532/1360; 631/532/2118; 631/532/2139; Animals; Cancer; Cell activation; Cell differentiation; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cells (biology); Differentiation (biology); Epidermal growth factor receptors; ErbB Receptors - genetics; Gastric cancer; Gastritis; Gene expression; Gene sequencing; Homeostasis; Humanities and Social Sciences; Metaplasia; Mice; multidisciplinary; NF-κB protein; Organoids; Progenitor cells; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Stomach; Stomach Neoplasms - genetics; Transcriptome; Transcriptomics
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39113-0

Defects in gastric progenitor cell differentiation are associated with various gastric disorders, including atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the multilineage differentiation of gastric progenitor cells during healthy homeostasis remain poorly understood. Here, using a single-cell RNA sequencing method, Quartz-Seq2, we analyzed the gene expression dynamics of progenitor cell differentiation toward pit cell, neck cell, and parietal cell lineages in healthy adult mouse corpus tissues. Enrichment analysis of pseudotime-dependent genes and a gastric organoid assay revealed that EGFR-ERK signaling promotes pit cell differentiation, whereas NF-κB signaling maintains gastric progenitor cells in an undifferentiated state. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of EGFR in vivo resulted in a decreased number of pit cells. Although activation of EGFR signaling in gastric progenitor cells has been suggested as one of the major inducers of gastric cancers, our findings unexpectedly identified that EGFR signaling exerts a differentiation-promoting function, not a mitogenic function, in normal gastric homeostasis.
Gastric progenitor cells are essential for tissue homeostasis of the stomach. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing and gastric organoid experiments, the authors demonstrate that EGFR signaling promotes gastric progenitor cell differentiation.