New gastric epithelial cell lines from mice transgenic for temperature-sensitive simian virus 40 large T antigen show distinct types of cell differentiation

Aim: To develop conditionally immortalized gastric mucosal cell lines that show distinct types of cell differentiation from transgenic mice harboring temperature-sensitive simian virus 40 (tsSV40) large T antigen. Methods: Gastric mucosal cells from the transgenic mice were cultured at a permissive temperature (33degreesC), and proliferative cells were then cloned by colony formation. Results: Eight gastric cell lines showed epithelial-like morphology and grew at 33degreesC. Three different types of the cell lines have been established: (1) MGE12-1, MGE3-2, and MGE509 cells expressing mRNAs for pit cell markers (gastric mucin and cathepsin E); (2) MGE02, MGE503, and MGE511 cells expressing mRNAs for pit and zymogenic (pepsinogen F) cell markers, and (3) MGE507 and MGE727 cells expressing mRNAs for pit, zymogenic, and parietal (H,K-ATPase alpha-subunit) cell markers. Moreover, the TaqMan assay showed that mRNA levels of mucin, H,K-ATPase alpha-subunit, and pepsinogen F were influenced by nonpermissive temperature (39degreesC) in MGE503 and MGE727 cells. Conclusion: These gastric epithelial cell lines seem to reflect different stages of development of gastric mucosal cells. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.