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Poly-Lysine Substrates for Cell Culture

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Promote firm attachment of neuronal cells and transfected cell lines.

Reprinted with permission of Becton Dickinson & Co.

Poly-D-Lysine (PDL) and Poly-L-Lysine (PLL) are synthetic molecules used to enhance cell attachment to plastic and glass surfaces.1 For many anchorage-dependent cells, the nature of the culture substrate has a major effect on cell growth and the requirement for serum proteins. Tissue culture plastic has a net negative surface charge which is produced by plasma treatment of the polystyrene.2 Over the years, many researchers have shown that serum-free or reduced serum cultures can be dramatically improved by coating the culture surface with positively charged polymers, i.e., PDL and PLL.3-5 Poly-Lysine surface treatment improves adhesive properties by altering the charge on the vessel surface from negative to positive. In addition to promoting cell adhesion, Poly-Lysine also enhances the adsorption of serum or extracellular matrix proteins to the culture substrate.1

While both PDL and PLL are widely used, PDL may be preferred for some cell types and applications because PDL, unlike PLL, is not broken down by the proteases released by cells in culture.6 As PDL and PLL are synthetic molecules, they do not stimulate biological activity in the cells cultured on them. In addition, they do not introduce impurities carried by natural polymers.7

Rat cerebellar granule cells cultured on BD BioCoat PDL show firm attachment. Mixed culture of rat cortical neurons and astrocytes cultured on BD BioCoat PDL.
References
  1. McKeehan, W.L., Methods for Preparation of Media, Supplements, and Substrata for Serum-free Animal Cell Culture, A.R. Liss, NY p.209 (1984).
  2. LaRocca, P. and Barker, S., The Cell/Line 6(2):1 (1996).
  3. Yavin, E., and Yavin, Z., J. Cell Biol. 62:540 (1974).
  4. Letourneau, P.C., Dev. Biol. 44:77 (1975).
  5. McKeehan, W.L. and Ham, R.G., J. Cell Biol. 71:727 (1976).
  6. Banker, G. and Goslin, K., Culturing Nerve Cells, MIT Press, Cambridge, p. 65 (1991).
  7. Ham, R.G. and McKeehan, W.L., in Methods in Enzymology, Vol. LVIII, Cell Culture (W. Jakoby and I.H. Pastan, ed.) Academic Press Limited, London, p. 49 (1979).

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