In cell culture, we often use polylysine (PLL)-coated glass coverslips to culture cells. The PLL can improve cell adherences.
Does anybody know how the theory of PLL improves cell adherences?
I have always assumed that this is an ionic interaction. Polylysine is positively charged and cells are negatively charged: therefore, they attract one another.
I agree with John, its just electrostatic attraction and also it helps provide a small matrix for the cells to interact with. Be careful since aqueous polylysine is toxic to cells, so make sure to wash containers with PBS before adding cells.
I would add that cell attachment doesn't guarantee physiological function. Polylysine has long been used to help adhesion of tissue samples to histological slides, by charge interaction, but there's no function to preserve there. I know PLL can be successful for cell culture, but would advise keeping a close eye on cell morphology, as an initial way of checking that phenotype/function has been maintained.
Take a look at these papers for comments on differences in cell behaviour/adhesion on +/- charged surfaces:
- Shelton, R.M., Rasmussen, A.C., and Davies, J.E. Protein
adsorption at the interface between charged polymer substrata
and migrating osteoblasts. Biomaterials 9, 24, 1988
- Davies, J.E., Causton, B., Bovell, Y., Davy, K., and Sturt,
C.S. The migration of osteoblasts over substrata of discrete
surface charge. Biomaterials 7, 231, 1986.
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