Purification and culture of spinal motor neurons

Abstract

Motor neurons are responsible for voluntary movement. Lower motor neurons are characterized by large soma, the potential to form very long axons, and wide-ranging dendritic arborization. They receive direction from various neuronal cell types and induce movement of skeletal muscle fibers through acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction. Each lower motor neuron can communicate with 10 to several hundred muscle fibers at firing rates modulated by the balance of ongoing neurotransmitter signaling. Disease and trauma that affect lower motor neurons can cause paralysis and, in some cases, death. Studies using primary cultures of these cells have ongoing potential to facilitate a deeper understanding of their biology and function. © 2013 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.