We have characterized somatostatinergic phenotype markers of the human neuroblastoma, LA-N-2. A single mRNA-transcript (approximately 850bp) and two cellular somatostatin immunoreactivity forms, a high molecular weight form (M(r) 15,000) and a fragment corresponding to somatostatin-28 was found, while the somatostatin-14 peptide was absent. Saturation binding experiments demonstrated a single class of high-affinity somatostatin receptors with Kd and Bmax of 0.27 +/- 0.03 nM and 45 +/- 1 fmol/mg protein. Partial G-protein uncoupling (30%) was demonstrated, using GTP gamma S, with an affinity of 9.7 nM. The LA-N-2 cell line, previously shown to be cholinergic, may serve as a simplified system to elucidate heterologous neurotransmittor interactions. Such studies are of interest since dysfunctions of the cholinergic basal forebrain neurons and somatostatin immunoreactive interneurons have been consistently observed in Alzheimer's disease.