Establishing Human Male and Female Models of Cholinergic Neurons via Neurokine-Mediated Differentiation of LA-N-2 and LA-N-5 Neuroblastoma Cells

Cholinergic neurons control numerous primate-specific and sexually dimorphic brain functions. Here, we present our differentiation protocol for the closely related human female and male neuroblastoma-originated cell lines LA-N-2 and LA-N-5. Pro-cholinergic differentiation (with upregulation of choline acetyltransferase) of both lines can be achieved using neurokines such as ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF). Comparative RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry analyses between those two cell lines, supported by experimental intervention, will deepen our understanding of cholinergic systems in human psychiatric and neurologic disease. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lobentanzer et al. (2019).