Poly-L-lysine

Chemical Properties

Polylysine is a synthetic polymer that is used to promote pluripotency in cells. It has been shown to be effective when combined with l-lysine, which promotes cell transformation and cellular physiology. It has also been shown to inhibit the synthesis of ubiquitin ligases, which are enzymes involved in the degradation of proteins.

Uses

Polylysine can also be used as a chemical probe for cancer tissues due to its ability to bind to lysine residues on proteins, which are not present on normal tissue or healthy cells.

Production Methods

E-Polylysine is manufactured using an aerobic fermentation process using the non-toxic microorganism Streptomyces albulus. Raw materials and processing aids entering in the production of Epsilon-polylysine are all food-grade quality.

Definition

ChEBI: L-lysine is an L-alpha-amino acid; the L-isomer of lysine. It has a role as a micronutrient, a nutraceutical, an anticonvulsant, an Escherichia coli metabolite, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite, a plant metabolite, a human metabolite, an algal metabolite and a mouse metabolite. It is an aspartate family amino acid, a proteinogenic amino acid, a lysine and a L-alpha-amino acid. It is a conjugate base of a L-lysinium(1+). It is a conjugate acid of a L-lysinate. It is an enantiomer of a D-lysine. It is a tautomer of a L-lysine zwitterion.

Application

Poly-L-Lysine is a synthetic amino acid chain that is positively charged and widely used as a coating substrate for culture dishes, slides, etc, to enhance cell attachment and adhesion to plasticware and glass surfaces. This product’s molecular weight ranges from 70,000 to 150,000 Da. It can be used in conjugation to methotrexate for increased drug transport. For Microencapsulation of islets. It is also used in simple, reproducible procedures for chromosomal preparations from various tissues. For immobilation of living cells in biocompatible semipermeable microcapsules. In the preparation of polycationic beads. Conjugation to albumin and horseradish peroxidase to enhance cellular uptake. Poly-lysine with mol. wt. >70,000 is useful in promoting cell adhesion to solid substrates.

Biological Activity

Polylysine (Poly-L-lysine) itself is not inert and may influence many cellular processes: Polylysine can exert selective toxicity towards some tumour cells; it can activate phospholipases and, thus, may affect membrane permeability; it increases cell division in Friend erythroleukemia and two mouse lymphoma cell lines; polylysine has been shown to activate a microtubule-associated protein 2 kinase in vitro; polylysine can exert a lytic activity against several membranes and cells. Bashford et al. have shown that polylysine leads to the efflux of small ions and a change in the membrane potential of Lettre cells. On the other hand, polylysine (in contrast to lipophilic polylysine) did not release the internal contents of either liposomes or erythrocytes.