Yonsei University · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Professor Gyoonhee Han's research lab specializes in synthetic organic chemistry with a focus on the development of innovative strategies for the enantioselective synthesis of complex natural products, particularly alkaloids. The lab emphasizes the use of transition metal catalysis, radical chemistry, and stereoselective transformations to construct challenging molecular architectures found in biologically active compounds. Recent work also extends into glycobiology, exploring the evolutionary dynamics of viral glycosylation patterns in influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The integration of methodology development with total synthesis and biological relevance defines the lab’s interdisciplinary approach.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
A new strategy for enantiospecific construction of the Securinega alkaloids has been developed and applied in total syntheses of (+)-14,15-dihydronorsecurinine (8), (-)-norsecurinine (6), and phyllanthine (2). The B-ring and C7 absolute stereochemistry of these biologically active alkaloids originated from trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline (10), which was converted to ketonitrile 13 via a high-yielding eight-step sequence. Treatment of this ketonitrile with SmI2 afforded the 6-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane B/
A convenient nonelectrochemical amide oxidation method has been developed. The process involves a cuprous ion-promoted decomposition of o-diazobenzamides like 4, generated in situ from the corresponding o-aminobenzamides, to give N-acyliminium ion intermediate 9 via a 1,5-H-atom transfer, followed by metal-catalyzed oxidation of the resulting α-amidyl radical. The transformation produces α-methoxybenzamides 15 in good yields. An attempt was made to apply this oxidation method to a total synthesi
Glycosylation of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) of the influenza provides crucial means for immune evasion and viral fitness in a host population. However, the time-dependent dynamics of each glycosylation sites have not been addressed. We monitored the potential N-linked glycosylation (NLG) sites of over 10,000 HA and NA of H1N1 subtype isolated from human, avian, and swine species over the past century. The results show a shift in glycosylation sites as a hallmark of 1918 and 20
An inexpensive proline derivative and chiral control feature in the total synthesis of securinega alkaloids (-)-norsecurinine (1) and phyllanthine (2). Key steps in the synthesis of 1 include an intramolecular ketonitrile coupling and application of a radical-based generation of N-acylimines. The total synthesis of 2 utilizes a stereoselective imino Diels - Alder construction of the methoxypiperidine ring.
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important enzymes in epigenetic regulation and are therapeutic targets for cancer. Most zinc-dependent HDACs induce proliferation, dedifferentiation, and anti-apoptotic effects in cancer cells. We designed and synthesized a new series of pyridone-based HDAC inhibitors that have a pyridone ring in the core structure and a conjugated system with an olefin connecting the hydroxamic acid moiety. Consequently, most of the selected pyridone-based HDAC inhibitors showed
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