Exploring the Interaction of 3-Hydroxy-4-pyridinone Chelators with Liposome Membrane Models: Insights from DSC and EPR Analysis.

In this study, we synthesized a series of 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone (3,4-HPO) chelators with varying lipophilicity by modifying the length of their alkyl chains. To investigate their interaction with lipid membranes, we employed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy using dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) liposomes as membrane model systems. DSC experiments on DMPC liposomes revealed that hexyl-substituted chelators significantly altered the thermotropic phase behavior of the lipid bilayer, indicating their potential as membrane property modulators. EPR studies on DMPC and POPC liposomes provided detailed insights into the depth-dependent effects of chelators on membrane fluidity. Our findings highlight the crucial role of alkyl chain length in determining the interaction of 3,4-HPO chelators with lipid membranes and offer valuable insights for the design of lipid-interacting therapeutic agents based on this scaffold.