Why are the dishes coated with poly-d-lysine (instead of poly-l-lysine)?
Both untreated glass and cells are negatively charged. Poly-lysine is applied to the glass surface to make it positively charged, thereby increasing electrostatic attraction between the glass surface and the cells and thus improving cell attachment. Poly-d-lysine is favored because the d-enantiomer is less prone to protease-mediated breakdown than the naturally-occurring l-enantiomer. Otherwise, Poly-d-Lysine and Poly-l-Lysine are equivalent.
